Raspberry Heaven
by Falaphesian
Summary: It's another dull summer and Kairi isn't looking forward to spending it alone now that Riku and Sora are an item. Her new job introduces her to some 'interesting' friends and Kairi soon learns more about herself than she ever wanted to know. YxK,LxC,RxS
1. Innocent Assumptions

This is what happens after watching "But I'm a Cheerleader" and spending an entire night discussing Xena: Warrior Princess and Melissa Etheridge with the person you just happen to have a crush on and all the while spending time with a huge group of fun people.  (Yes, I actually did have a life this weekend.  Wow.)

...In all honesty, I do not expect this to get any reviews at all.  oo  I really don't.  I just wanted to poke at the possibility of any yuri ever existing in Kingdom Hearts.  As well as the fact that Kairi is severely bitchified in many fics.  So.  Yes.  nervous laughter  Anyway, I'm trying to save my own mental view of her character here, so...  Ahem.

The pairing is, at the moment, rather undecided.  It will be Some-Female-Character/Kairi and near-constant references to Riku/Sora.  ...Also, since I think it would be nice to have a little of everything, why not have a small bit of Tidus/Selphie, too?  Everyone seems to pair them together, so I might as well hold up some sort of tradition.  Um.  Yeeees.  PG-13 rating for now.  Probably won't go any higher then that.  Oh, and the disclaimer....

Disclaimer:  Kingdom Hearts and all related characters does not belong to me.  Thank you.

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**Raspberry Heaven**

'Innocent Assumptions' 

            "Hey, Kairi?"  

            The auburn haired girl was oblivious to the world around her, headphones securely placed over her ears, loud music pounding into her head.  Muffled voices raised in song could easily be heard seeping through the headphones themselves, leaving Sora with the feeling that Kairi would one day find herself deaf and kicking herself in the ass for playing such loud music.

            But that wasn't exactly what was on Sora's mind at that moment.  Kairi had plenty of time to save her eardrums, but what was more important was the question that had been nagging at Sora for the longest time.

            "Kairi?"

            And still, the only sign of life coming from the girl was the sway of her foot, snapping along in time with the beat of the music.  Yep.  She was definitely going to be deaf someday.  Possibly someday soon, if she didn't cut it out.

            "KAIRI!!"

            "What?"  Kairi lazily pulled the headphones off, hitting the stop button on her CD player, taking a few brief seconds to admire her finely manicured nails.  To Kairi, there was no immediate risk of her health; hearing or otherwise, so there was really no reason for Sora to be interrupting her daily music time.  Well, now that Kairi thought about it, pretty much all she did all summer was listen to music... but that didn't make it any less important.

            Looking down at her friend, she could tell that her mood had put poor Sora in a rather distressed state, and Kairi couldn't stop the pang of guilt that seared across her heart.  She didn't know why, but ever since she found out about Sora and Riku, she had been avoiding the two as best she could.  Everyone simply took her to be mildly homophobic (she still allowed both boys in her house, after all, so it couldn't be that bad) and left it at that.  But the thing that seemed to bother Kairi the most was the fact that she _wasn't _disgusted, she _wasn't_ jealous of either boy...  Mentally, she was congratulating them on a job well done.  It had been obvious that Riku and Sora were meant for each other ever since the day Kairi arrived at the islands.

            And still...

            She couldn't place her finger on the exact reason that their relationship had caused Kairi herself to grow away from Riku and Sora.  

            "Kairi... Umm... I've been wondering..."  Kairi blinked and a small frown flitted across her face.  If Sora was stumbling over words, there was definitely something big on his mind.  She watched silently, trying to keep a blank expression as her friend furrowed his eyebrows together, obviously trying to piece together his words in his head, hopefully constructing his thoughts in the best way possible.  Knowing Sora and how he tended to act when he was nervous, Kairi was already expecting it might take a few tries.

            She remembered how he'd acted when Riku had asked him out.  It had taken the poor boy nearly five minutes to say yes.  And yet at the same time it had been the sweetest thing...

            "Kairi..."  Sora gulped, raking a hand through his soft spikes of hair, his blue eyes flickering wildly around the room.  He just couldn't take it anymore!  His curiosity was absolutely _killing_ him, and if Sora didn't find out, he felt like he'd probably burst into a million pieces.  Kairi was his friend after all... She would understand and laugh it off if it was that silly a question... right?  Before Sora could allow himself to mull over his own thoughts any longer, the question flew from his mouth in a rapid torrent of words and syllables.  "Kairi, are you a lesbian?"

            Sora blinked.

            Kairi blinked again.

            Both sat in utter silence, and Sora instantly longed for that mind-numbing music to come pouring from the headphones once again.  Anything to ease the tension.  Maybe Kairi hadn't heard him...

            "What?"

            Ah, there we go, she was already going deaf!  Sora almost let out a deep sigh of relief, but his eyes widened as Kairi spoke yet again.

            "What the _hell_ are you _talking _about?"  That... didn't sound like the voice of someone who was about to just laugh the silly question off.  Again, Sora's mouth took off without him, desperate to try and back up the boy's seemingly-random question, trying frantically to give him any chance against the tidal wave that could possibly caused by Kairi's wrath.  She _had_ seemed awfully... 'wrathful' lately...

            "Well, it's just, I mean, ya know, you've got all these picture of girls on your walls and everything and you do listen to that kinda music and you didn't really seem to mind when Riku and I got together, but at the same time we don't all talk to each other like we used to and... Um... Hehehehe, just forget I asked?  April Fool's?  Haha?  You know...  Hehe?"

           If any of that had been proper English, perhaps Kairi could have taken in more of the babble that Sora had given her.  As it was, the combination of raging teenage hormones and her own mental frustration left no possible way for Sora to get out of the situation he'd gotten himself into.  

            And then it was although Kairi had mentally hit the pause button, as though life itself was just another CD or video which you could stop and rewind.  

            Looking around her room, Kairi had to admit that Sora was right.  Okay, so there were a lot of posters on her walls, mostly of actresses and singers, but all of them were girls.  Big deal.  Not all teenage girls had to be obsessed with annoying boy bands and 'The Islands' Most Attractive Bachelor.'  ...And it was true that in some of the posters, the girls and women were defying the dress code, but come on, if you were going to be famous, it was the price you paid.  And Sora was somewhat right about the music... Well, okay, so Kairi noticed that the majority of her CD collection consisted of various albums of the Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge.  Again, though, it was just what made Kairi who she was.  It did _not_ make her a lesbian.  

            Honestly, sometimes Sora could act like such an oblivious little kid.

            The two sat in silence for a few minutes longer, and just when it thought the conversation had finally been dead for long enough to be buried and gone, Kairi swung her legs over the side of the bed, turning again to face Sora.  The world was playing again, the pause button long forgotten in the new assault of moment and color.

            "That seems like a pretty random question to me, Sora."

            "I know... It was just... I wondered.  You know.  I was kinda worried that when Riku asked me out, you'd get mad."

            Kairi tried not to take offense at that, convincing herself that she just had a bad habit of twisting words around to make them a wee bit more painful then they really were made to be.  Nonetheless, it still irked her that people would think that after the whole coupling off of her two best friends, Kairi would hold terribly bitter feelings towards either of them.  _She_ obviously didn't know why she was avoiding them, but she certainly wasn't angry at either of them.  

            "Well you shouldn't have worried," Kairi said with a small smile.  It was the smile she always used to give out when she was younger.  She always gave Riku and Sora that smile because they were her closest friends and companions and she felt she could trust them no matter what.  Others saw it as Kairi flirting with both of the boys.  Hmph.  What did they know anyway?  She'd long since given up trying to convince people that she wasn't out to break Riku and Sora apart.  Even Riku seemed to be hostile towards her for some time...  

            Sora returned the smile, relieved to find that some of his old friend still existed.  "I know... It just... You don't think we're all drifting apart, do you?"

            How exactly could Kairi explain that she _knew_ she was the one causing the three to grow apart, but that she didn't know _why_?  Somehow, Kairi doubted that Sora would believe that story anyway, and the brunette would instantly assume that Kairi really did know why she was upset and just wasn't telling...  It all seemed so complicated.  And again, Kairi was only making it even more complicated, rehashing old words and information over and over again in her mind, eventually coming to the conclusion that sometimes, it was best not to trouble Sora with her own problems.  The boy couldn't hold the world on his shoulders, after all.  No sense in adding stress to his carefree life.

            So Kairi laughed and to anyone else it looked like she was truly amused at the ridiculous idea that Sora had proposed.  Drifting apart?  Sora could be so funny, so funny...  After a moment Kairi reduced herself to only a few small giggles and said, "We _don't_ drift apart, Sora!  Come on, I thought you knew at least that much!"

            Several more hours trickled by in much the same way, the tension dissipating between the two friends in the blink of an eye.  Sora was as happy-go-lucky as ever when he waved goodbye to Kairi and headed off, probably to go find Riku and spend some time with his beloved boyfriend.  It was what Kairi would do if she had a boyfriend, anyway.  

            Making her way inside, Kairi passed by the living room, where her father was idly flipping channels on the TV.  It never failed to amuse Kairi when people did that.  Why couldn't they just find something they liked and stop poking around at all the other channels?  Or better yet, just do something more productive then watching the damn thing at all.  And at the moment she just happened to walk past the living room, the channel-surfing paused and runway models filled the television screen, attitude and poise in their every step.

            Kairi paused and glanced again at the screen, tilting her head to the side as she studied the girls illuminated by spotlights and camera flashes.

            Huh.  They were probably all plastic anyway.  Still.  

            Kairi shook her head and trotted up the stairs after the channel switched again, happy to return to her loud music and her independence.  Yeah, Riku and Sora were probably swinging by the ice cream parlor at that very moment, but as much as Kairi still felt that she cared for both of her friends, she didn't want to be a third wheel.  It was just one of the things that she had forced herself to do.  

            It would be what she would want if she had a... boyfriend.  Right.

            The next morning Kairi was cheerily walking down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to grab an apple and fly out the door.  Yesterday's conversation with Sora had left Kairi feeling somewhat nostalgic and antisocial, so she was planning on making up for it.  And what better way to do that then to spend the entire day hanging out with her friends on the beach?  Granted, she sometimes got annoyed with Wakka and Tidus, who were friends of Riku and Sora, but she put up with them all the same.  

            However, she hadn't even gotten halfway down the flight of stairs before her parents' voices drifted up to her ears, Kairi's name sewn into the speech.  They were talking about her?  How interesting.  They were usually talking about Kairi's older sister if they ever bothered to talk about their children at all.  Despite Kairi's annoying conscience telling her she was being 'a very bad girl,' Kairi stopped her descent and instead stood still and quiet, listening carefully to the conversation going on downstairs.

            "--And you know she dresses differently...  Don't you think we should be worried?"  Kairi frowned and glanced down at her clothing.  Dark red tank top, her swimsuit underneath, black jeans, worn black sandals...  Um, hello?  It wasn't exactly as though Kairi would label herself as intimidating.  She was going to the beach, not to some crazy sock-hop.  

            "I don't think so.  I read about it in one of those parenting magazines, you know.  Apparently many girls her age today go through this... _emo_ phase.  They're just trying to express themselves, Aiden."  It was all Kairi could do to keep herself from bursting into laughter right on the spot.  Just what did her parents think they were raising?  The monster from the black lagoon?

            "But you _know_ what music she listens to.  The people who sing it... Ugh, those women..."  Okay, hold it right there.  Kairi frowned and leaned forward, listening even more intently to her parents' words, her anger slowly rising by the moment.

            "Yes, yes, I know.  It could just be her taste, though.  But I do think you have a point and maybe we should look into it."  Her mother's voice paused for a moment and dropped into a quieter tone as though she were about to exchange terribly dark and secret information with her husband.  "Do you know those two boys she hangs around with?  Riku and Sora?"

            Uh oh.

            "Yes, of course I know them.  Sora was just here yesterday."

            "Well if what I hear is correct, then it just so happens that those two boys are... _gay_."  Leave it to Kairi's mother to make it seem as though one innocent relationship could be the start of the Apocalypse.  

            Her father must have been drinking coffee, for he was certainly coughing and sputtering on something then.  Once he'd finished coughing, his voice was nearly angry enough to send Kairi herself reeling backwards.

            "And those boy hang around _our_ daughter?!"

            "Shh!  You don't want to wake her!  ...But we must do something soon.  We can't have them rubbing off anymore on her.  It's already bad enough.  I'm sure that if we do something now, Kairi won't turn into one of _them_."

            That was pretty much the breaking point.  Kairi didn't feel like going to beach anymore and her upbeat mood had dissolved into nothing.  How could her parents talk of her friends that way?  They'd known Sora and Riku ever since Kairi and her family and first arrived at Destiny Islands!  Would they really turn on their daughter's friends so easily?  All just because of the way Sora and Riku interacted with each other?  Hell, it didn't even have anything to do with them at all.  

            Kairi soundlessly turned and made her way quickly back up the stairs, no longer wanting to hear more.  She was sure her conscience was probably laughing at her by then, screaming "I told you so" at the top of its lungs.  

            Why on earth did everyone seem to suddenly think that Kairi was a lesbian?  Listening to openly gay singers and having posters of girls rather then boys did _not_, by any means, make her gay!  It just made it different, that was all.

            Kairi closed her bedroom door behind her and returned to her bed, cradling her precious CD player in her arms.  It was somewhat sad that the only thing that seemed to _not_ care about her apparent sexual orientation was a little piece of machinery.  Somewhat sad... and just really quite pathetic.  Reaching over towards the foot of her bed, Kairi turned on her own small TV and buried herself beneath heaps of pillows and blankets, determined to conserve what little of her happy mood she had left.

            And who should she find on the TV screen?  None other then her favorite singer, of course.  This alone was enough to brighten Kairi's day as the broadcast showed the concert from somewhere on the mainland.  

            "She is beautiful, she is talented, she's an activist, she's a pioneer, she's a _great_ kisser... She's a true rock star!  Melissa Etheridge!"

            The crowd went wild, the music started pulsing its same hypnotic tune that was so familiar to Kairi, and inwardly she couldn't help but wonder what could possibly make people hate and despise others just because of who they chose to love.  

            Not that it mattered to Kairi.  

            No, she was just protecting her two best friends.

            She was just watching her favorite singer at a concert Kairi wished she could go to.

            And she was certainly not doing anything wrong.

            But that didn't stop her parents from giving Kairi worried glances all week and it certainly didn't stop the puzzled looks she could see Riku and Sora giving her.  The worst part of it was that Kairi couldn't figure out how she was acting any different then how she normally acted.  As far as she could tell, there was nothing weird or strange about her now then there had been about her ten years ago, and yet back then she wasn't stuck with people accusing her of being a lesbian all the time.

            By the end of that week, Kairi was starting to feel as though she were some animal in a zoo, constantly being observed and monitored by other people.  Why not just give her bedroom door a sign that said "Please do not feed the animals?"  As it was, Kairi did her best to avoid family dinners, her paranoia growing by the day.  What if that day her parents actually decided to confront her about it?  What would she say?  

            Kairi needed to buy herself more time, just until she could come up with some concrete evidence that she was perfectly straight and normal.  What she needed was a boyfriend.  The idea didn't much appeal to Kairi at all, but if it got everyone off her back then she was more then willing to do it.  

            And so it was settled.

            Kairi sat in her room, basking in all the glory of summer vacation, old concert tapes in her VCR, music stretching from wall to wall, serving as the best kind of sedative Kairi would ever probably get her hands on.  No matter what everyone else thought, Kairi would get herself that damn boyfriend if it killed her.  She had already set out her clothes for the next day, preparing to get a bright and early start in the morning.  Not only was her wardrobe planned out for the entire day, but she had a neatly printed agenda folded on top of the pile of clothes.

            _-Morning jog around boardwalk_

_            -Sun tan on beach_

_            -Ice cream parlor_

_            -Swimming_

Granted, it wasn't exactly specific.  But it at least gave Kairi a few ideas of places to go to try and find some random guy.  Hopefully it wouldn't really be as difficult as everyone made it seem.  

            Letting out a deep sigh, Kairi simply allowed herself to be swallowed yet again by the music.  The next day didn't exactly sound like fun to her.  But the last thing she needed was for the entire island to start believing that she was gay.  That would just be absolutely ridiculous.  

            "Hehehe... All you have to do is strum a guitar and you've got everyone wrapped around you finger," Kairi said to the television screen.  It was true.  No sooner had the first few chords drifted into the air was the entire audience captivated by the singer, completely at her mercy.  "Huh.  Too bad it doesn't work like that for the rest of us..."

            Kairi sighed and reached over to her bedside table, switching off her light and plunging her room into darkness, except for the brilliant light radiating from the screen in front of her.  Deaf _and_ blind in her future.  What difference would it really make if she were a lesbian or not at that point?  Kairi laughed softly to herself before turning her attention yet again to the concert, leaning into the pillows behind her and simply enjoying the song.

If I wanted to, I could do anything right

I could dance with the devil on a Saturday night

If I wanted to, I could turn matches to gold

Smoke, drink, swear, and I would never grow old

I wouldn't have to be in love with you

If I only wanted to, if I only wanted to!

It _was_ too bad that real life didn't work that way.  

Kairi soon drifted off to sleep, music still filling her mind even in her slumber.  It helped to keep her from thinking about those trivial things in life.  Parents, friends, and her reputation.  Sometimes it was almost enough to drive Kairi to just throwing it all out the window.  

            In her dreams, of course, Kairi was perfect.  Her friends and family hung on her every word and they never doubted for a moment that Kairi was a wonderful person.  She had wealth, beauty, fame, and...

            Why did she have a girlfriend?

...................................................................................

            Yes, I know.  I don't update in forever and I repay you all by making a random.... thing.  I can explain, I swear.  Right then.  Ahem.  

            Riku and Sora are not in my brain.  At all.  Having never had any sort of writer's block before, I can't figure out how to fix it.  It's not even like I can't write _anything_.  I just seem to be momentarily incapable of writing anything that has two males within five feet of one another.  

            So... I hope this didn't really disappoint anyone all that much.  I do realize that I could have just given Paine and Rikku their own chapter in OftB, but I already have that entire fic blocked out.  Ehh.... falls over

            Okay then.  Only two items of business left to cover...  One of which is, yes, the comic.  As I posted in my livejournal (which is seriously neglected), I don't know if I'll be doing the manga for Wish I Was Your Lover after all.  Lately I've been feeling like doing something original... maybe... And my sister offered me a script as well.  It's well thought out and I'm quite addicted to the plot, but... I don't know, it's all really up in the air.  (Plus, lots of personal matters are popping up left and right, I've suddenly got the desire to spend more time with my friends, and things are basically just really, really hectic.)

            Phew.  Right then.  Last thing...  This chapter is obviously reflecting my Melissa Etheridge love.  Ehehehe.  The funny thing is that not many people my age know her at all or like her kind of music.  (This all ties back to those crazy personal matters, really...)  Anyway, the concert snippets are from actual concerts, the first one being from the Equality Rocks concert, which featured Melissa Etheridge as well as many other people I didn't know, and the song itself is 'If I Only Wanted To.'  

            So concludes my hideously long A/N.  Umm... Hope you read it, 'cause I think one or two of those things was actually important.  Namely the apology and the manga bit.  The big question is, if I ever worked on an original project, would anyone read it?  

            Thanks for your time.  As always, love you all.  (Oh yes, and please tell me what on earth to do with this random thing.  Is it of any interest at all?)

Ori


	2. Run Around in Circles

Well... wow.  I really didn't expect to get any response from this.  Not as many reviews as the pure Riku/Sora stories, but it's a start, ya know?  ;;  Anyway, a deep and special thanks goes out to those of you who reviewed this fic--  It really means a lot to me.  Uh, this fic especially, you know.  ...Yes.  Now then, onto the next chapter.  Hope it continues to reel in more people...  I dunno.  As much as I love all my other fics, I think this one definitely holds the most personal meaning.  

            Enough rambling, already.

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**Raspberry Heaven**

'Run Around in Circles'

            "Hello, Destiny Islands!"  Yuffie flung open the curtains of her sparkling new apartment, taking no mind of the piles upon piles of boxes yet to be unpacked.  The chances of her staying inside on such a beautiful day and spending her time unpacking old junk were very slim, and already she was diligently planning out her morning's activities.

            Taking a moment to just admire the sun filtering in through her window, Yuffie smiled to herself.  Hopefully this place would be the right one.  She wouldn't allow herself to dwell on the past since doing that never got anybody anywhere.  

            Besides.

            Yuffie was burning daylight.

            Kairi slipped out the door, sneakers pounding against the sidewalk as she jogged down the walkway leading up to her front door before winding her way down the peaceful neighborhood streets.  Her CD player in hand, Kairi jabbed the play button with her finger, a fresh wave of music crashing down on her senses.  It was a welcome sound that the concert album provided-- screaming fans, the clear notes of a guitar, and that painfully powerful voice, pouring everything it had into one song.

            Kairi absolutely loved it.

            Eventually, she turned away from the main neighborhood, heading closer towards the beach.  With any luck, she would be able to find some random guy whom she might be capable of ... what, seducing?  Kairi couldn't help but wince at this thought.  It wasn't as though the pure evil of her whole plan hadn't crossed her mind.  She realized that it was terribly unfair to lead some poor boy on like that, but Kairi wasn't exactly looking forward to the whole thing herself.  The last thing she felt like doing was going hunting for a boyfriend she didn't even want in the first place.

            But when the going gets tough...  

            She frowned to herself as she felt her feet first hit the sturdy planks of the boardwalk.  How did that saying go?  It had been butchered so many times...  Oh well.  Some old phrase was hardly her biggest concern at that moment.  Already, Kairi was busy studying her surroundings, focusing on a few possible choices, but not really doing much.  

            Perhaps she chose not to take any action because even Kairi would grudgingly admit that she didn't have the slightest idea how to go about her great plan.  If she could pull it off, it would prove her sexuality once and for all.  And yet at the same time, she hadn't the slightest idea how she was to go about flirting with a boy, much less getting him to be her boyfriend on such short notice.

            And perhaps Kairi was hoping it was just one of those things you could make up as you went along.  She sure as hell hoped so.

            Feeling herself starting to get seriously worn out by the jog, Kairi let out a defeated groan and reluctantly slowed her pace to ease the ache in her chest.  So she hadn't really gone jogging in a few months...  Kairi hadn't thought she was _that_ out of shape.  Now that the music was no longer battling the sound of Kairi's own labored breathing, it pounded far too loudly in her ears, but she didn't bother adjusting the volume.  It blocked out the other obnoxious background noises, so at least it served some good purpose.  

            Now that she was there on the boardwalk and actually searching for some poor boy, Kairi couldn't suppress the fact that the whole endeavor was just downright _stupid_.  If no one wanted to believe that she wasn't a lesbian, then that was their fault.  There was absolutely no reason for Kairi to drag her and some random guy through hell just to please the general populous of the island.  

            But--

            But--

            Kairi grabbed thick fistfuls of her short hair and bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep herself from just screaming in frustration.  On top of everything else, Kairi definitely didn't need people to start wondering over her sanity as well as sexuality.  Taking in a deep gulp of fresh island air, Kairi spun on her heel, no longer feeling like continuing her jog around the boardwalk.  She just wanted to go home and bury herself once again in the confines of her room.

            And yet the next thing Kairi knew, she was crashing into a rather warm and firm structure before flailing her arms about wildly and keeling over onto the boardwalk itself.  Her back met the wood with a dull and painful 'whack,' promising to leave a nice bruise as a reminder of her own clumsiness.  More upsetting, however, was the absence of her precious CD player.  It had flown out of her grasp during the sudden fall, and in a flash Kairi was sitting back up, scanning the ground in a panic for the small electronic.

            The impact with the wood must have somehow caused the CD player to snap open, for Kairi's beloved CD was laying on the planks, a batter and pathetic look to it, the sleek surface now marred by deep scratches.  

            Wonderful.  If Kairi started crying over a newly deceased CD, the entire town would most certainly doubt her state of sanity.  Just fucking wonderful.

            No sooner had Kairi's fingertips skimmed the tattered surface of the CD did another hand appear next to hers, slightly paler and adorned with an intricate hemp bracelet, rainbow beads woven in along the fibers.  The first thought that instantly flickered into Kairi's head was anger and loathing for whoever had led to the destruction of her only copy of the concert album.  The second thought was just admiring the simple beauty of the bracelet.

            "I'm so sorry!  I wasn't looking where I was going...  Oh man!  Did I break it?  I'm so sorry..."  Yuffie looked up, finally managing to get a glimpse of the girl she'd abruptly slammed into.  Granted, she hadn't been looking, but if the girl had just kept moving in one direction, maybe the collision wouldn't have been quite so bad.  Oh well.  So it was both of their faults.  

            Kairi snatched her hand away suddenly, shaking her head abruptly.  

            Weird...  She was blushing.  

            Ugh... Since when was everything just so insane?

            Yuffie carefully picked the CD up from the ground, casting a sympathetic gaze at its damaged surface.  It probably would never play the same again, if at all.  Turning over the disk so that Kairi could take it easier, the label of the disk caught Yuffie's eye, a smile instantly spreading across her face even as Kairi finally seemed to find her voice and start speaking.

            "It's okay... I should have looked and... Umm... Don't worry about it.  It's just Melissa Etheridge... I mean, you know, no big deal... Er, no, I mean, um... I just sorta... liked the CD, but that's okay, it's okay..."  Kairi was babbling and she definitely knew it.  She wished the dock itself would just open up and swallow her... Anything to get her away from this new person.  

            "Hey, it's Melissa Etheridge.  Who _doesn't_ love her?"  Yuffie's smile stretched into a grin, though it still held a tinge of sympathy for Kairi as the younger girl took the disk back into her own hands, popping it into the cradle of the CD player.   Almost as an afterthought, Yuffie allowed her hand to remain outstretched as an offered handshake.  "I'm Yuffie.  Uh...  Still sorry about the CD.  I wish there was some way I could replace it, but that was one of the concert ones, wasn't it?"

            Yes, this _was_ absolutely insane.  Kairi was sure she had cracked her skull after hitting the ground and this was all someone's idea of a sick joke.  They were trying to get her to be a lesbian!  What _bastards_!  Of course, Kairi was never going to admit that if there was indeed some crazed plot to change Kairi's orientation, it was definitely working.  Ridiculously well, as a matter of fact.  

            As though it all finally decided to register itself in Kairi's head, warning signals were suddenly flashing, raising the alarm.  No way did Kairi find Yuffie attractive.  That would mean--  Nope.  There was just no way.  

            Yuffie studied the younger girl curiously as Kairi pulled away rather abruptly, clutching her CD player possessively in one hand, the other held warily at her side.  Huh, that was weird.  For a second there, Yuffie had almost thought the girl had smiled.  Mentally, Yuffie couldn't help but smile herself.  She was pretty cute...  Perhaps...

            "I'm Yuffie.  Pleased to meet you...?"  Despite Kairi's sudden shyness, Yuffie reached out and shook hers gently.  Kairi hesitantly glanced back up at Yuffie, her stomach doing cartwheels.  In three words, she could easily describe the situation.  

            It royally sucked.

            And yet for some reason, Kairi found herself responding.

            "Kairi..." she mumbled half-heartedly.

            Yuffie gave her that smile again before tucking her hands into the pockets of her shorts.  Now that Kairi wasn't focused quite so much on the ground anymore, she actually got a good view of the girl now standing in front of her.  Though she wasn't tall by any means, Yuffie still stood a good two inches taller then Kairi herself.  Probably the most interesting thing about the older girl was her hair.  It was cut short, angling in towards her chin, and although the natural color was obviously a deep black, Yuffie had put brilliant blonde streaks in it.  

            Kairi had an interesting time trying to mentally fit Yuffie into a category.  Finally, she just settled on 'alternative' and left it at that.

            "Hey, I really do wish I could get you another copy of that CD... I'm really, really sorry about that," Yuffie said apologetically.  In reality, she was probably just trying to buy herself time.  Kairi seemed skittish, yes, but Yuffie was almost positive she'd caught hold of something different a moment ago.

            Kairi laughed nervously, drumming her fingers against the plastic CD player.  "Yeah, well, uh, don't worry about it.  It's no big deal.  I have the songs... on my computer... ya know..."

            "Oh, good!  I was worried I'd destroyed your only copy or--"

            "No, no, no!  Hehe, it's fine!  Finefinefine... Uhh... I gotta _go_ now..."

            "You do?"

            "Yes.  I do."

            "Oh..."

            "It was nice meeting you, ah, Yuffie.  Bye now!"                 

            Whatever discomfort Kairi's jog had caused her before was nothing compared to the discomfort she felt as she stood there making up excuses like an idiot.  So, shoving the dull ache aside, she hurriedly turned on her heel and began jogging (nearly sprinting, really) back down the boardwalk, trying not to look too rushed, but failing miserably.  

            Wait, no, she _was_ in a rush!  Or was she?  It was with something akin to blind panic that Kairi quickened her pace and miraculously enough, she didn't go flying head over heels onto the ground as she wound her way back up through the island neighborhoods, anxious to get back to the safety of her own home.  She'd only been gone for an hour tops and already her plans of getting a _boyfriend _were taking some serious blows.  

            Yuffie frowned slightly, watching Kairi flee.  Well _that_ was weird.  She went over their conversation in her head and couldn't come up with anything that could possibly have terrorized poor Kairi so much as to cause her to flat out _run_ in fear.  Yes, Yuffie could possibly be scary at times.  But she was pretty sure she hadn't done anything _that_ time.  

            With a small smile and shrug of her shoulders, Yuffie continued her walk along the shore of Destiny Islands.  

            Kairi sure was weird.

            "...And?"  Riku blinked at Kairi, a somewhat puzzled expression on his face.  Kairi had come dashing over to Sora's house that afternoon, spilling all to her two best friends.  Her two best friends... who had absolutely no idea what it was all about.

            "And?!  What do you _mean_ 'and?'  Don't you _get_ it?"  Kairi was at the end of her rope.  The day so far had been a complete and total bust.  It was as though the entire incident at the boardwalk had decided to hang over her head for eternity, even as she desperately struggled to get a boyfriend.  Her struggle was becoming even more desperate, possibly because Kairi was growing more worried herself.

            If her parents somehow got a hold of a psychic who could read her mind, Kairi pretty much assumed that it was all over.  She _had_ to figure something out, and soon.  Preferably before she could have any more run-ins with Yuffie.

            Sora cocked his head to the side, just as confused as Riku was.  Probably more so, since that always seemed to be the case, but he just sat there calmly and nibbled on his sandwich, thinking.  Kairi was always overreacting about things.  Maybe it came with being female.  Whatever it was that caused it, Sora was glad he had nothing to do with it whatsoever.  

            Riku frowned slightly, silver eyebrows furrowing in concentration.  After a moment of awkward silence, he finally shrugged.  "Nope.  Not getting it.  You're pretty vague, you know."

            "Then let me go over it _again_.  I went to the _boardwalk_.  I ran into a _girl_.  I went totally crazy and got all nervous, I must've been red as a damned _cherry_, and on top of everything else, I thought she was _hot_, _OKAY_?"

            Ah, now Sora got it.  Though it almost resulted in him choking on the bite of sandwich he held in his mouth.  Riku chuckled and patted his boyfriend on the back lightly before turning his gaze back towards Kairi.

            "Alright, so you're possibly _not_ straight.  Big deal."

            "It _is_ a big deal, thank you very much."

            Riku rolled his eyes, leaning back into the couch and giving Kairi a critical stare.  "You know, a lot of people are bisexual, Kairi.  You could be bi.  Doesn't mean you have to act on it, of course.  You just thought she was attractive, after all.  You said so yourself."  Riku wasn't exactly going to tell Kairi what he _really_ thought.  She'd probably flip out again.  Girls were so strange like that.

            Kairi, however, had told herself the exact same thing Riku was assuring her of then.  It was possible she was bi, yes.  In that case, she would just force herself to choose guys over girls in order to keep every normal.  In order to keep everything the way it was _supposed_ to be.  It was all fine and dandy that Sora and Riku had gotten together, but Kairi knew for a fact that her parents would probably explode or something if they found out that their dearest daughter had a girlfriend.

            She had drilled the thought into her mind that it was possible for her to like both boys and girls.  That was perfectly alright, because Kairi could easily fix it.  Only...

            Only why hadn't Kairi ever frozen when talking to some _boy_ before?  Why was it that she was never really into guys as much as Selphie or any other girl her age?  She had always just told herself that it was probably because she'd spent most of her childhood with Riku and Sora.  ...But that still wasn't helping with her current problem.

            Letting out a distressed sigh, Kairi slumped back into the armchair opposite of Riku and Sora's couch, closing her eyes tightly.  This was all so screwed up...  

            "So what do you think I should do?"  

            "I think you should--" 

            "I mean, I can't tell my _parents _I could be bi or anything.  They'd totally freak.  And if anyone _else_ finds out about this, I'm toast."  Kairi groaned and buried her head in her hands.

            "Kairi, what if you just--"

            "You could always just wait and see what happens, you know," Riku said.  "Who knows, you might find that some guy catches your eye...  Or you might not, but..."

            "Hey!  I think--"

            "What's _that_ supposed to mean?!  Riku, I'm _not_ a lesbian!"

            "Kaaaairiiiii!"

            "I never said you _were_!  Stop overreacting, honestly.  Even if you _were_ a lesbian, would it really be the end of the world?"

            "Yes, as a matter of fact it--"

            "_Can I say something now_?!"  Both Kairi and Riku turned at once to face Sora, who wore his trademark pout on his face.  Obviously neither of them had heard him during their own conversation.  Thankfully, Sora was an easygoing person.  Most of the time, anyway.

            "Sure, Sora."

            "Whatever."

            Sora cleared his throat before settling himself back against the couch, arms crossed behind his head in a relaxed position.  "What if you met Yuffie again?"

            Kairi blinked.

            "I mean... You know.  Maybe the first time was just a fluke.  You might just _think_ you have a crush on h--"

            "I _know_ I don't have a _crush_ on her, Sora."

            "Right, okay."  Sora couldn't help but allow a smaller version of his old pout to creep back onto his features.  Couldn't Kairi see that he and Riku really were just trying to help?  

            Conversation on that particular topic eventually slowed and died out altogether.  Kairi returned home several hours later and had a perfectly normal dinner with her two parents, who, she reminded herself, loved her very much and did not deserve to be hurt if they found out about her day.  So when asked, Kairi just smiled and said she had spent that afternoon with Selphie at the mall.  It was a typical response, one that she probably used far too often for it to truly be convincing, but her parents bought in anyway.

            The rest of Kairi's great plans for finding a boyfriend had seemed to fall flat.  Rather then continuing down her agenda for that day, Kairi just decided to call it quits as she shuffled upstairs and quietly closed her bedroom door behind her... and then promptly opened it again.  Kairi's eyes widened as she closed the door once more... and opened it once again.  

            Her parents deserved to know _something_, didn't they?

            Open door.  Close door.  Don't tell them anything.  Tell them what's going on.  Open door.  Close door.  Open--

            "Kairi, what are you _doing_?" her mother's voice rang out from down the hallway.  

            Damn squeaky door hinges.  

            Kairi mumbled some response that hardly even made sense to her before she closed the door with finality.  Her parents deserved to know something was up, yes.  But Kairi couldn't shake the bad feeling she had about the whole thing that just seemed to keep building and building.  If her mom and dad had reacted so poorly to Riku and Sora being together, what would happen if they found out that dear little Kairi might not be as straight as they thought?

            Slumping towards her bed, Kairi sat down, folding one leg under her as she did so.  She traced a finger gently along the twisting pattern of the embroidery of her quilt, half-heartedly wondering what her mother had been thinking when she'd made it for her daughter.  

            The quilt was beautiful, really.

            There was no doubt about the fact that her mother had probably been thinking over daughter with every thread that was stitched in and out of the quilt's soft fabric.  Kairi, warm and secure, wrapped up in this blanket, protecting herself from the raging storm outside her bedroom window.  Kairi, sleeping soundly beneath her mother's gift, out of harm's way and oblivious to what others meant by 'the real world.'  

            "What a drag..."  Yuffie let out a deep sigh and flopped over onto her bed, staring at the ceiling above her through tired eyes.  

            Her first full day on Destiny Islands had not been at all what she'd expected.  It wasn't that the island's inhabitants were mean or cruel.  Blissfully unaware, possibly, but not cruel by any means.  In fact, the residents of the island were quite nice.  It was that their niceness was directed to their friends, and sadly, Yuffie had spent her day entirely unnoticed by everyone.  

            Well, she took that back.  The one person she had met that day had been almost absurdly shaky, though Kairi was probably the person that Yuffie knew best on that island at the moment.  The thought of the younger girl caused Yuffie to laughed suddenly, shattering the thick silence of her small apartment.  Almost as sudden as the laughter had come, Yuffie snapped her mouth shut and again allowed the silence to grudgingly return to its former position of dominance in the household.

            Yes, Yuffie decided she would have to track down Kairi if only to torment the poor girl a little longer.  That was a joke, really.  Yuffie was sure that Kairi could be quite a nice person if someone got to know her well enough.  She was probably one of those girls who had had a matching pair of socks for every dress and outfit she owned when she was in kindergarten.  Yuffie tended to hate people like that, but Kairi didn't seem to bother her much.  No, Kairi was just an amusing thought Yuffie chose to mull over in order to pass the time.

            And pass the time she did.

            By the time Yuffie was finally ready to fall asleep, she had mentally conjured an outline of Kairi's life, up to the time when she was fourteen and finally found out that there was no such thing as Santa Claus.  Until that point, Kairi had been the perfect angel, and with the Santa revelation, her poor parents found themselves with a handful of problems.  Children hate being lied to, really they do.

            Along with this supposed fact, Yuffie concluded that Kairi had also been into disgustingly perky pop music while in elementary school and had probably spent her afternoons collecting attractive seashells on the shore of the island, joking and giggling with a crowd of her friends.  And in all likelihood, Yuffie figured, Kairi would one day end up marrying the same boy she had had a crush on since the sixth grade.  Yep, that was just who Kairi was and would be.  

            Easy to read, easy to figure out, done, finished, complete.  Something to accept and close the book on and then turn out the lights, drifting off into the sweet oblivion known to many as sleep.  

            And the sun found Yuffie like that the next morning, dancing in golden rays upon her face and mocking the fact that the poor girl was absolutely terrible at reading people.  And Yuffie never even had the foggiest idea, even as her eyes slid open and she let out a loud yawn, again piercing the silence around her.

            Yuffie didn't know that as she bit into her morning apple, Kairi was still awake and sitting on her bed, still tracing the threads of her quilt and trying to figure herself out.  Yuffie had no idea that the auburn haired girl did not know who she was, even after hours upon hours spent reviewing and rehashing old information.  No, it didn't even dawn on Yuffie that as she closed the door to her apartment, keys jingling merrily in her hand... 

            As she stepped out into the sunshine, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh island air...

            As she paused along the beach to admire the morning glory the ocean held to it...

            ...It never dawned on Yuffie that she might be wrong.  That Kairi might have spent her childhood, watching her two best friends beat each other up with swords, that despite her mother's complaints, Kairi still preferred to have her hair cut short rather then to grow it out, that Kairi didn't even _wear _socks that much at all.  Yuffie had no idea that she was quite off when it came to pinpointing Kairi and who she was.

            Apparently, that was a problem the entire island was having, because no one seemed to be able to get it right.  No, not even Kairi herself.

.............................................................................

            Ta da.  In the next chapter, Yuffie has another run-in with Kairi and Selphie and Tidus actually make an appearance.  No song lyrics in this chapter?  Whoa, that's crazy.  

            Not much else to say.  Must update other fics before I'm hunt down and pelted by small rodents.  (So... tired...)

            Thank you for reading, as always!

Ori


	3. Call Me Crazy

            Yup.  Changed the title.  (Now the ending theme of Azumanga Daioh.  Yeees.)  My sister made a rather lewd comment when walking past my room and seeing what I was typing and obviously took 'Down Once More' the wrong way.  So now you have 'Raspberry Heaven.'  Not only did I not know that you spell raspberry that way, but I've also discovered that this title relates to the plot in absolutely no way, shape, or form.  

            But does it sound cool?  Yes.

.....................................................

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Call Me Crazy'

            Kairi narrowed her eyes, opening the window of her room and leaning out, elbows resting on the windowsill.  A determined smile stretched across her face, and she inwardly assured herself that today would be better then yesterday.  She wasn't going to get upset, she wasn't going to make an ass of herself and most importantly...

            Kairi was going to be as straight as humanly possible.

            Dragging out her old clothes from two years ago, Kairi slipped out of her oversized t-shirt which served as pajamas, tugging on the pink skort and tank top she had once worn all the time.  Granted, when Kairi glanced at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but make a small face.  It was hard to believe that once upon a time, Kairi had loved and adored those clothes.  

            Well, Kairi was pretty sure she'd been straight back then.  Whatever worked.

            Kairi stuck out her tongue at her reflection, the girl in the mirror apparently showing just as much dislike of _her_ and mimicking the action.  This was a stupid plan.  Kairi was tired and felt like just rolling right back into bed because she'd hardly slept at all the night before.  But she was awake, she was dressed.  She might as well get out of the house.  

           Rather than walking, Kairi stopped by the garage on her way out, picking up her roller blades and strapping them on.  She couldn't help but smile as she stood up, rolling across her driveway just to give the wheels a quick test run.  While every other girl in the sixth grade had preferred roller skates, Kairi was the only one who could successfully roller blade.  Mostly, that was just Sora and Riku's fault for buying her the pair of blades for her birthday so that Kairi could go roller-blading with them. 

            It wasn't long before Kairi once again grew bored of the normal neighborhood surroundings and headed towards the beach.  Granted, her last visit there had been pretty disastrous, but the likelihood that she'd run into Yuffie again was pretty slim.  After all, how interesting can the beach be, right?

            As expected, there were already scads of people out on the beach by the time Kairi arrived.  Since she hadn't brought her swimsuit and was alone, she saw no reason to go in the water.  Everything was utterly boring, normal, and just plain, well, _plain_.  So she made her way over towards one of the benches seated closer to the sidewalk, not wanting to get sand in her roller blades.  

            _Alright.__  It's not often that I get a whole lot of time to myself to think.  ...Okay, I take it back, nevermind.  _Ever since Sora and Riku had paired up, Kairi had really been finding herself with more spare time then she would like.  Spare time that she would really rather be spending with her two best friends...  But she didn't mind.  She assured herself she didn't mind.  

            The morning sun had already warmed the bench up rather nicely, and Kairi found herself wondering if it would be possible to discreetly slip off into sleep while out in the open like that.  No one seemed to be noticing her anyway.  Certainly she could just lean back, closer her eyes for a while, and catch up on the hours of rest she'd already been losing.  It was really just that easy...

            "Hey, Kairi, right?"

            Muffling a startled yelp with both hands, Kairi's eyes snapped opening, showing her the girl she had been hoping not to see again in a million years.

            Or at least... until she'd figured out something to say.

            Yuffie stood next to the bench, a warm and welcoming grin spread across her face, one hand holding up the shoulder-strap of a small backpack, the other resting on her hip.  Still the same weird hair.  Still the same little rainbow bracelet.  

            _I wonder if she's straight?_

_            ...No I don't.  I don't care.  _

            "Umm... Yeah.  That's... me.  Ehehe... Hi there, Yuffie."  It was hard to sound more enthusiastic about seeing someone when Kairi was having trouble just getting her brain to process simple words and phrases.  All the while, that same brain of hers just wouldn't stop bitching about how terribly horrid she was for even thinking of Yuffie that way.  Kairi wasn't even a lesbian.  So there.

            "Mind if I sit down there?" Yuffie asked, pointing to the large void on the bench beside Kairi's skinny frame.  Inwardly, Kairi cursed herself for not taking up more space.  There was no polite way out of this.  She was going downhill pretty damn fast and still couldn't think of a mildly intelligent thing to say.  Worst of all, she was starting to have trouble keeping a blush from creeping up on her face. 

            "Um, um... N-no."  Kairi swallowed hard, determined to gain control of her speech once and for all.  "I mean, yes... Uh, you can sit there!  I just... I have to go soon, ya know."  There.  Not exactly eloquent, but it was a slight improvement.

            Yuffie shot Kairi a brilliant smile and plopped down next to her on the bench.  Possibly closer then she really needed to be, Kairi pointed out to herself.  There was a whole three more feet to the bench...  Couldn't Yuffie sit down there instead of right next to Kairi?  _Please_?

            The magic word had no effect on the powers that be and Yuffie stayed right where she was.  Though rather then sitting there numbly like Kairi, the older girl dug around in her backpack a few moments before pulling out a small plastic tube with a triumphant "Ah ha!"  

            Popping the lid off the tube, Yuffie pulled out a roll of paper and offered it to Kairi.  

            Reaching out a mildly trembling hand, Kairi took the roll of paper and continued mentally kicking herself.  This was absolutely ridiculous!  

            "I kinda felt guilty about the whole CD thing from yesterday, so I thought this might sorta make it up to you.  I mean, it's not a concert recording or anything, but I don't think you'd have it unless you were still into Melissa Etheridge when you were like... ten?"  A minor insult on the age thing, but it was easily overlooked.  Most of Yuffie's words were easily overlooked in the first place because...

            Kairi suddenly felt like she was going to burst into tears.

            Perhaps it was the sun, perhaps it was the blood rushing to her face.   Maybe it was the fact that she realized just how much of a jackass she'd been lately.  Maybe it was even just raging hormones that corrupt and possess poor teenagers at whim.  Whatever it was, it was driving Kairi absolutely insane.

            Unrolling the paper, Kairi's eyes widened as soon as they set upon its glossy surface.

            There before her was probably one of the very first posters ever made of Melissa Etheridge, though it looked as though the singer had been shoved backwards into her late teens as opposed to her mid thirties.  Kairi was also well aware of the fact that her jaw had dropped when the amazement hit her, and as she quickly moved to snap her mouth shut, she also noticed one more thing.

            When unrolling the paper, a thin hemp bracelet had fallen onto Kairi's lap.  Upon closer examination, Kairi was delighted to find that it was nearly identical to Yuffie's own bracelet, with small rainbow beads woven into the fibers of hemp.  Shocked and amazed were the only two words Kairi could come up with to describe her emotions.  

             What happened next is what probably triggered everything _else_ that happened afterwards, and it all blurred into one big string of horrible _events_.  One after another after another, like some sort of badly planned sitcom where the corny jokes just keep pouring down on the pitiful viewer.  It was just like that, only minus the jokes.

           Kairi began to sniffle, unable to continue holding back the tears that were brimming her eyes.  For some crazy reason, this simple little apology gift was starting to shove a whole lot of things into place.  It was bad, it was _very _bad, and poor Yuffie's eyes widened as she realized Kairi was _crying_.

            "Kairi!  Are you okay?  I-I didn't mean to...  I'm sorry!"

            "No you didn't do anything wrong!"

            "I just saw you looking at my bracelet, so I made you one like it and--"

            "I'm just being a little weird, don't mind m--"

            Both girls stopped babbling a mile a minute and blinked.  Kairi's sniffles started to morph into a small fit of giggles and Yuffie found herself laughing as well.  For some strange reason, they found the whole situation rather funny, seeing as neither had picked up the other's apologies, unable to hear them through their own rambling.  Kinda silly, kinda sad, but something of an ice-breaker nonetheless.

            Kairi was having trouble understanding the whole thing as she finally got herself under control, wiping the tears away from her face and stifling her fits of laughter.  The whole thing had completely caught poor Kairi off guard and her mind was rapidly trying to figure it all out as fast as possible.

            For as long as she could remember, Kairi had never really considered herself as anyone of any remote importance.  Growing up with Riku and Sora as her best friend had only helped to fuel this belief, really.  Between Riku's gorgeous silver hair and stunning body and Sora's brilliant blue eyes and adorable features, Kairi thought of herself as being lost somewhere behind them.  She didn't mind though.  But she was definitely willing to admit that it was just _nice_ to have someone focusing entirely on her, even if only for a few minutes.

            And whether Yuffie was gay or not... well, surely it didn't matter.  Kairi got along perfectly fine with Riku and Sora.  Surely getting along with a girl version of them would be just as easy.

            Though somehow, Kairi found herself doubting this fact slightly, though she didn't exactly know why.

            "Sooo... you forgive me?"  Yuffie looked pleadingly over at Kairi, unfazed by the brilliant red blush that leapt up onto the younger girl's face.  Damn hormones.  

            "Of course!  I mean... _wow_.  You didn't have to do this, you know.  I mean, it was my fault too that the CD got wrecked... If I'd been watching where I was going..."

            "I wanted to, though!  It was... fun, you know?"  Yuffie picked the bracelet up from Kairi's lap and attached it to her slender wrist, tying the hemp off in a neat bow.  She smiled at her handiwork, allowing her fingertips to linger on the perfect bow and unintentionally causing Kairi's heart to slam against her chest.

            _Oh crap, am I having a heart attack??_

            However, a heart attack was the least of Kairi's problems.  As Yuffie looked up from the bracelet, she cocked her head to the side before turning to look at Kairi yet again, a confused expression on her face.  

            "Hey, do you know that lady over there by the bus stop?"

            Kairi looked over towards the mentioned stop and as if her heart hadn't been having enough problems, it must have stopped altogether when her eyes landed on Kairi's mother who just happened to be shooting her daughter the most vile look ever.  This was bad.  This was _so_ bad, Kairi couldn't even _think_ of how bad it was.  Nor could she really articulate it all that well either.

            "Oh... um... oh.... eh....  Shit."

            "Wait, so who is--"

            "That's my _mom_!"  Kairi clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widened in alarm.  So very, very bad.  It _shouldn't_ have mattered at all, but Kairi was sure that it looked like Yuffie had been holding her hand and Kairi was positive that her mom knew absolutely everything...  It was only a matter of time before the world came crashing down around her ears.  

            "Oh.  Um... That's a bad thing?"  Yuffie, meanwhile, was completely in the dark.  

            "_YES_.  It's **terrible**.  It's really, _really_ bad, Yuffie.  REALLY bad."

            "Perhaps you're overreacting?"

            "I don't think so...  Aw man, this is bad.  Um... I gotta... go."  It was by far the last thing that Kairi wanted to do.  Every bone, muscle, and tiny _cell_ of her body wanted her to stay there on that bench with Yuffie, maybe even shooting her mother Kairi's own look of contempt.  But if Kairi did that...  Well, things could possibly get even worse than they already were.  

            "Oh.  Um... O...kaaaay...  I'll see you later...?"  Yuffie didn't exactly know what to make of the situation.  As far as she could tell, Kairi was just being neurotic.  Very weird and very neurotic.  But she was sure they was a reason for it.  She just didn't exactly know the reason. It was just a minor detail.  Kairi was a nice girl, there was no denying that fact.  But there was definitely something that was tearing the poor kid up inside.

            As Kairi apologized profusely and began to back away, Yuffie came to the conclusion that it was up to her to help Kairi with whatever problem it might be in her life.  After all, the younger girl was basically the only person Yuffie really knew on the islands.  Might as well just try and fortify a shaky relationship, right?

            Nonetheless, Yuffie cocked her head to the side in puzzlement, watching Kairi's retreating figure as she sped away from the beach, the wheels of her roller-blades spinning at a dizzying rate.  It was a wonder the girl didn't kill herself at that pace.  Chuckling to herself, Yuffie placed her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, soaking up the soothing rays of the summer sun.  The island wasn't all that bad.  Perhaps it would work... Maybe it would work.  

            More than anything, Yuffie hoped it would all work.

            "I think we should be charging you, ya know," Sora said plainly as Kairi let out a defeated sigh.  At this rate, her two best friends were well on their way to becoming her two best psychiatrists.  And Kairi had the feeling that if things kept playing out as they were, she would definitely be needing that psychiatric help...

            Riku looked up as Kairi and Sora entered the room and he shot his friends a brilliant grin, setting the video game on pause.  Kairi felt slightly guilty for continuously intruding on Sora and Riku's time together, but it was a difficult thing to avoid really.  The two of them sometimes seemed like they were just adjoined at the hip or something.  Once again, Kairi had to remind herself that she was okay with this.  

            _They're my best friends.  I still love them and I always will._

            "Still got girl troubles, Kairi?" Riku asked, unable to keep that smirk off of his face.  Kairi just shot him a glare and plopped down on a beanbag in the corner of Sora's room, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall.  Honestly, the skimpy clothes she was wearing were seriously uncomfortable.  But the last thing she felt like doing was going home to change.  If possible, Kairi wanted to avoid her mother for a while...

            Although Kairi's mother might not be suspicious of anything at all, Kairi knew that parents had the freakish tendency to be able to read their children's minds.  With Kairi's luck, the powers that be wouldn't make the most recent incident any exception.  

            "Camera's rolling, Kairi.  Your life's a soap opera and you're forgetting your lines.  What's the matter?"  Thankfully, Riku's voice had lost most of its sarcastic tone and her friend actually seemed to hold some genuine concern for her.  Both Sora and Riku sat side by side, video game now forgotten, devoting their attention to their third friend, their third wheel.  Sort of a bittersweet thing, but Kairi was satisfied with it nonetheless.  This was the way it was.

            "Well... I saw her again at the boardwalk.  I think I'm talking somewhat normally around her now."

            "That's an improvement."

            "Thanks, Sora."  Kairi rolled her eyes before once again rooting them to the ceiling of Sora's bedroom.  He had some old band posters taped up there, oddly enough.  It wasn't as though Sora had completely run out of space on his walls, but there the posters were, staring back down at Kairi with little to no interest whatsoever.  Again, this was the way it was.  Posters wouldn't change and sometimes people didn't either, right?  

            "She, uh...  She made me a bracelet."

            Sora _squealed_.  Kairi's eyes widened and she glanced over at the spiky haired boy in alarm, thinking something had bit him (hopefully not Riku), but she simply found Riku laughing and Sora grinning like an idiot.  Obviously she'd missed something.  With any luck, her friends would fill her in momentarily.  She wasn't disappointed.

            "She made you a bracelet???  That is... so... _sweet_!!!"  Sora clapped his hands together with enthusiasm before his grin suddenly turn to a slight pout and he turned to face Riku.  "Hey, Riku?  Why don't you ever make me bracelets?"

            Riku rolled his eyes and punched Sora playfully in the shoulder.  "Because you don't wear bracelets, you dork."

            "I would if you made me one, Snookybear."

            "...Shut up."  Even Riku was unable to keep his pale skin from taking on a slightly pink tinge at Sora's embarrassing name for him.  

            Kairi groaned, cradling her head in her hands.  Sora and Riku seemed to carry on as if there was no problem at all!  How on earth could they keep up that insane relationship and just be so... _carefree_ about it all?  

            "Hey, Kairi..."  Sora's voice was back to being serious, almost as though the boy were capable of turning that switch on and off in his brain at whim.  "Listen.  You're _smart_.  I think you can figure this out, I really do.  I dunno what we can really do to help, but if there really is something, we'll do it.  But I personally think you're strong enough to handle it on your own."

            Sora's words were helpful, really they were.  They were kind and supportive and they were everything Kairi could expect from her best friends.  But...

            "If I'm so smart, why the hell can't I figure any of this out?  You say I'm strong, but look at me!  I'm acting like a baby!"

            "You've got a crush on a person who just happens to be the same gender as you.  You being Kairi, I'd say you're holding up pretty well."

            "...I don't think I'll analyze that statement very much."

            "Good idea."

            The three sat in relative silence for a few more moments, each of them wrapped up in their own thoughts and seeming quite content to stay there for the rest of the day.  If there was one thing Kairi loved about her two friends, it would have to be the fact that they could share moments like that.  No one had to be providing a conversation, stimulation or otherwise, in order to keep them together.  If they were all just thinking in the same room and breathing the same air, they were being social.

            During those quiet minutes, however, Kairi found herself studying Sora and Riku out of the corner of her eye, avoiding catching their attention.  It was amazing how far they'd both come in just a few short months with their relationship.  In May, Sora had had this weird habit of blushing every time he so much as held hands with his boyfriend, which was odd since the two of them had been playing and wrestling for as long as they'd known each other.

            Where all relationships like that, even the ones that weren't romantic?

            Several hours later, Kairi found herself walking the familiar road that lead back to her house, her feet dragging reluctantly along.  Sora had happily invited her to stay for dinner, but Kairi really didn't want to intrude any more than she already felt she had.  Why was it that she always felt she was interrupting something nowadays?  Well, it could be because she _was_.  No matter.  She was walking the plank as it was, so she might not get another chance to interrupt her best friends.

            As she walked up the front steps leading towards the door, Kairi was frantically thinking of last minute escape plans.  If things got ugly, she could always pull a James Bond move, slam through the window, glass flying everywhere, and run towards safety.  Or perhaps she could--

            "Kairi!  Where have you _been_?"

            Gulp.

            "Uhh... Hey, Mom..."

           Kairi's hand was caught up in her mother's as the older woman dragged her inside, closing the front door behind her.  Eyes wide with panic, Kairi allowed herself to be briskly led down the hallway in into the living room before finding herself firmly planted upon the overstuffed green chair there, her parents seated across from her.  O-kay, this was not looking good.  Perhaps the widow escape plan would be necessary after all...

            "Kairi... Ehm... Your father and I..."  Kairi's mother was obviously flustered for some reason and she looked towards her husband for support.  Inwardly, Kairi couldn't help but snort at that wishy-washy expression on her mother's face.  If there was one thing Kairi couldn't stand, it was the fact that her mother always turned to her husband.  She was unable to go without his support or approval...  Overall, it was just...  _Yuck_.

            "Kairi, your mother and I have come to a decision."

            "I saw you on the boardwalk today, you know."

            "And she says you were with a girl?"

            "A girl we don't know."

            "Now, Kairi, we know you would never do anything _wrong_..."

            "But we do worry about you, Sweetheart."

            "And we think it might be best if--"  Both parents glanced at each other before giving small nods of affirmation, all in unison.  God, that was freaky.  

            "Kairi, we think..."  Oh no, here it was!  Her own parents were going to tell Kairi she was a lesbian, that she was gay, that she was...  What if they disowned her?!  

            "Mom, Dad, I can explain--"

            "We think you need a job."

            Kairi blinked.  Her parents blinked.  The room was silent.  

            "What was that, Sweetie?"

            "I... ah... I think that's a great idea."  

            "Oh good!  We're just worried about you, you know?  I mean, we think it's best that you're not on the street all the time.  That girl looked a lot older than you and we just don't want you to get hurt.  Is that alright with you, Kairi?"

           Kairi nodded and listened as her parents continued to babble on about jobs, growing up, and making good decisions.  It was definitely not the first time Kairi wished she had a sibling, that was for sure.  Having every ounce of her parents maternal instincts being thrown her way... Well, the whole ordeal was more than just a little overwhelming.  Not to mention the fact that it drove poor Kairi up a wall.  

            And here Kairi had been certain that her parents were going to start accusing her!  Hah!  They just wanted her to get a job and get off the streets.  That was no problem whatsoever.  As a matter of fact, a job would give Kairi something to do during the summer.  She might even be able to make new friends so she could stop bothering Sora and Riku when they wanted to be alone together.

            A job would be good for her.

            "...And Marsha told me today that there was a new little restaurant opening up by the beach!  Brand new... isn't that wonderful, Kairi?  You could work there, I'm sure!"

            The rest of her parents' words were lost on Kairi.  Restaurant?  Sure, okay.  Everything was blissfully wonderful so long as her mom and dad still believed that Kairi was normal.  

            That Kairi was anything but--  Well, it didn't matter now.

            Later that evening, Kairi was up in her room listening to the same old voice on her stereo as she once again unrolled the poster Yuffie had given her.  A smile lit up on her face as she traced her fingers over the smooth paper, studying the young woman who stared back at her, a determined expression on her face.  The album title was printed in old-typed letters at the bottom of the poster and Kairi didn't hesitate in tracing her fingers over that as well.  There was no change in texture, nor was there a reason for Kairi's need to feel the surface of the poster itself, but it just happened.

            She was thinking once again.

            Here was this singer whose entire career-- no, whose entire _life_ practically revolved around making people happy and satisfied with her music and her character.  People respected those who could sing well.  People adored the _good_ people that could sing well.  

            So how was it that the rock star was able to be so open with who she was as a person and get away with it?  What sort of courage and determination had that taken?  

            Kairi sighed and retrieved the tape from her desk, using it to firmly attach the poster to her wall.  Stepping back to survey her handiwork, Kairi smiled once more.  She'd have to find something to give Yuffie in return...

            But that was for tomorrow.  Tomorrow Kairi would track down Yuffie one more time and she would act like a normal person.  Tomorrow she would head down to the beach and see about getting a job at that restaurant.  And tomorrow, she was determined to give Sora and Riku some time alone.  It was the least she could do for them after all the support and encouragement they'd given her.  Not to mention their patience.

            Turning off the lights, Kairi burrowed into the quilt on her bed, staring blankly at the wall for a few minutes, trying to put a closing statement on all the thoughts whirling around in her head.  Eventually, her eyes came to rest once again on the poster, reading over the text printed below the picture of Melissa Etheridge.

            'Yes I Am.'

            Am what?  What _am_ I?

.......................................................

            And ta daaaa.  You have another chapter.  Though it wasn't as much fun as I could have made it and although it was basically just rehashing old information, it was in fact necessary.  How it was necessary, I don't quite know, but it sure as heck was.  Ayep.

            Anyway!  The next chapter things start getting interesting, I promise.  And I know I said I was going to bring Tidus and Selphie in during this chapter, but it just didn't fit.  They're going to turn up eventually, I just don't know when.  

            Aaaand that's all for now.  Hopefully there'll be an update later this week.  If not, the week after.  ...Although with SOLs and finals on the horizon, life might just suddenly blow up in my face, so no promises or anything.

            A thank you goes to all the sweet reviewers, though.  All of your comments have been wonderful and motivational and... Well, just thank you!       

Ori


	4. My Little Sweet Pea

Wow. I haven't updated in forever. Terribly sorry about that... Bah.

Reviews for the last chapter have made Ori a very happy little girl indeed. Seriously. I feel like I'm about to burst. But before I do...

......................................

**Raspberry Heaven**

'My Little Sweet Pea'

"Yuffie?" Leon called out into the empty room. He frowned slightly, walking through the several chains of storage rooms before coming out into the kitchen. Strange. No Yuffie there. Just--

"Leon!" And suddenly there was a spiky blonde _thing_ that sprouted from the ground and adhered to Leon's side. Wonderful.

"I've been thinking. Tifa and I are gonna need some pretty powerful equipment if we're gonna pull off handling a bunch of crowds, right? So I was looking through this here handy magazine and then it hit me... Uber-spatula!" A small catalogue was thrust in front of Leon's face, Cloud's slender finger pointing towards the stainless-steel, lifetime-warranty... spatulas. Very few people got a kick out of buying new cooking utensils.

Cloud was one of those few.

Brushing the catalogue aside with a dismissive wave of his hand, Leon rolled his eyes and continued on his way, suddenly hearing a loud and rather annoying sound coming from the dining room of the restaurant. "Worry about serving the crowds when we actually get them, Strife." And that was that.

The kitchen door closed with a swish behind Leon, leaving a rather peeved Cloud standing in his wake.

"Hmph. Bastard. Six years. _Six years_ and he still calls me Strife! Ass."

And once again, that was that.

"..._Got a smile that could knock ya down, got friends who will follow me and I--_

_ Don't hold responsibility but I know- what I am- and I know- that I'm ri-ight_!"

Leon entered the dining room of the restaurant, instantly honing in on the one possible source for all the noise. Yuffie. Who else?

The girl had some how gotten it into her head that the entire front of the store would need to be revamped before they opened. So it was that she had pooled together the pocket money of the restaurant's current employees and bought... The most interesting shade of yellow paint Leon had ever seen. And Leon didn't find many things very interesting in the first place, so that was definitely saying something.

Leon had assumed she would be painting the room today. Judging by the tubs of water, various brushes and rollers, and plastic covering the floor, Leon would say she had already started. That is, he _would_ have said it had he not heard Yuffie's slightly-off-key singing from halfway across the small building. It wasn't that Yuffie was a bad singer. Perhaps if she sang a little less _loudly_, she'd be quite good.

Leon had heard worse, after all.

However, she was still _off-key_ and she was still _not_ working.

"..._My arms are reachin' out to let you go_... _I tried to rock you but you only can roll_--"

"Yuffie..."

On went the song.

"_Yuffie_."

"Eh? Oh, Leon!" Yuffie grinned, prancing towards the brunette who was currently standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a cold glare stretched across his features. A clean paintbrush was dangling from her hand, not a speck of paint on the thing. The paint cans were still closed, the paint trays were still clean. Had Yuffie just been singing to herself the _entire_ time Leon had been in the back talking to Tifa and Aerith?

"I thought you were supposed to be working, here. You know, _painting_. It was your idea." Leon's stormy eyes surveyed the plain and rather dreary walls of the front of the restaurant. Although he would never admit it out loud, he realized that Yuffie had been right after all. The place really had needed the fix-up.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. You can't rush art, Squall! Nope, nope, nope. This place'll look absolutely fabulous, but it'll get there on its own time."

"Don't call me that. And the wall doesn't have emotions. So don't be emotional with it." Leon rapped his knuckles against the nearest wall as though to prove his point. As he'd expected, Yuffie yelped and leapt forward, palms splayed out against the surface of that wall as though she were trying to soothe it using some crazy wall-massage technique.

"It's okay, he didn't mean anything by--"

"Yuffie?" Tifa blinked at the short haired girl, having suddenly appeared in the kitchen door, Cloud at her side. Cloud, Yuffie noted, looked rather disgruntled. Huh. Wonder what had brought that on?

Tifa broke the awkward silence by bounding over to Leon, a familiar catalogue clutched between her hands. "Leon! You just gotta check out these wicked spatulas!"

"No."

"But you haven't even seen 'em!"

"Yes. I have."

"Le-oooon!"

"Please, you're giving me a headache."

The one-sided banter pretty much continued on like that and Yuffie winced as the volume of Tifa's voice rose with her frustration. Sidling over to Cloud, she stood on her tiptoes so as to put her mouth level with his ear, leaning forward to whisper to the blonde.

"Leon still being a jackass to ya, huh?"

"Screw off."

-------

Kairi came to the conclusion that one day she would have to buy a new pair of shoes. Her battered sneakers sported tears and holes all throughout the soles, but Kairi couldn't help but feel deep attachment to the old things. It would be like putting down an old dog when she finally did throw them away.

But sneakers aside, Kairi was hesitantly looking up at the sky every five minutes, chewing her bottom lip in deep thought. Was that all she was capable of doing lately? _Thinking_? Or getting others to think for her, when it came to Riku and Sora. Kairi simply sighed and shook her head, returning her gaze to the ground. Her feet were on autopilot, carrying her down towards the shore of the beach where she would walk the all-too-familiar paths that led to the boardwalk. Once there, she'd find this restaurant and (if everything went the right way) would land herself a job.

This was good, this was good, this was good.

It was _good_, dammit.

After several minutes of idle wandering, the restaurant came into view. Kairi blinked, studying the building carefully. Well that was odd. It looked as though the place hadn't even opened for business yet, even though there were people inside. Wonderful. Just plain _fabulous_. This whole expedition looked as though it had just been one big waste of time and Kairi was not in the mood for wasting time. Granted, that's just what you _did_ during summer vacation, but she had to be productive and she had to be productive _soon_. Preferably before she pulled all her hair out from stress, really.

So maybe that hair-saving motivation is what caused Kairi to knock politely on the restaurant of the doorway anyway. Maybe they needed help setting up or something. She had to go somewhere and she had to do something. This looked to be the best place at the moment...

"Hey there! Can I help you?" A warm smile greeted Kairi as soon as the glass door opened. Aerith was busily adjusting the large bow in her hair, leaving the door to be held open with her hip, hands buried in the stubborn pink fabric of the hair ribbon.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trouble you, it's just--"

A familiar voice piped up from deeper in the restaurant. "Eh? _Kairi_? Heeey! Kairiii!"

Seconds later, Yuffie came flying out of the kitchen, her feet somehow propelling her towards the doorway without crashing into anything. She still held a clean paintbrush in her hand, even though it looked as though the paint cans scattered around the room had been opened and stirred. Apparently, it was just getting Yuffie to actually _start_ painting that was a challenge.

"Yuffie?? Umm... Hi. I didn't know you worked here," Kairi said with a small smile. She really should've figured it out, though. The powers-that-be really hadn't been on her side at all lately, so why would they have a change of heart all of a sudden?

Yuffie tossed the paintbrush in her hand up into the air, watching it flip over into her other hand with ease. "You dropped by just to see me? Aww, that's so sweet, Kairi!" The older girl laughed merrily, tossing the paintbrush back and forth between her hands. It was quite obvious that the painting job was _probably_ not going to get done today. Yuffie being who she was, it might not even get started.

"Actually, my mom sent me down here to get a job, but uh... It looks like you guys are still working on setting everything up." It was a simple observation and Kairi couldn't stop from mentally kicking herself for sounding so lame. She was already blushing like an idiot from Yuffie's joking around. Of course Kairi hadn't just gone there to see Yuffie! She practically got a heart attack whenever she was within ten feet of the girl. Why on earth would she want to bring all that upon herself willingly??

"Yeah, we're working on it... Oh! Hey, I need to introduce you to everybody!" Yuffie exclaimed, turning back around to face the small group of people gathered in the dining room of the restaurant. She moved to stand next to Kairi, pointing out her friends and giving the younger girl a brief description of each. Kairi, meanwhile, couldn't help but wonder what kind of perfume Yuffie was wearing. It smelled oddly fruity, but not in a bad way at all.

"That over there is Aerith. She's a couple years older than me and actually graduated from college, unlike _some_ people. Ehehehe... She's really smart and sweet though, but don't ever bother telling her that. She's too modest and'll just disagree with you anyway."

Perhaps it was some sort of Hawaiian Ginger spray? Kairi simply nodded as Yuffie continued, though she wouldn't deny the fact that she was hardly listening to a word the other girl said.

"Then there's Tifa. She's... something else! We went to the same school and dropped out earlier this year because, well, college isn't for everyone, ya know? We've been friends forever though--"

While trying to assure herself that she wasn't jealous of Tifa (who proceeded to wave cheerily at Kairi as a greeting), Kairi came to the conclusion that it wasn't any sort of Cucumber Melon spray. Hmm...

"And last but not least, the dynamic duo itself... Cloud and Leon!" Yuffie leant down next to Kairi's ear and whispered, "They're both quite gay, though Leon's not willing to admit anything yet. And I wouldn't talk to Cloud too much if I were you. He can be pretty catty sometimes, especially when Leon's turned him down about _anything_ at all."

Cloud narrowed his blue eyes and balled his hands into fists, though they remained clutched firmly at his sides. "I heard that, Yuffie."

Yuffie simply laughed lightheartedly, the sound reminding Kairi strongly of wind chimes. But rather than waxing poetic on Yuffie's laughter, Kairi simply found herself blurting out two words.

"Sweet Pea!"

The rest of the room blinked at her in confusion, though Yuffie's smile stretched into a grin and she clapped her hands in delight.

"Haha! That's right! I bought it yesterday at the store. You like?" The black haired girl then proceeded to twirl in a small circle as though modeling clothes, a cocky smile on her face. Once again, the rest of the room was completely lost and confused. Then again, most of them were used to being lost and confused around Yuffie, so there really was no great surprise there.

"Hey, hey! Idea!" Yuffie suddenly switched gears and bounced up and down with excitement, turning back towards Kairi. "If you don't have anything else to do today, why don't you hang out here? You can help me paint and Cloud and Tifa can make lunch for all of us... It'll be fun!"

Now, Kairi could make one of two decisions, obviously. Staying with Yuffie seemed as though it would be awkward, since Kairi was definitely the youngest one in the room. She didn't want to intrude on Yuffie and her friends, nor did she want to feel like she had to be babysat. But the way Yuffie talked about it, she wasn't viewing Kairi as a little kid. She was looking at her like an equal and she was looking at her as a friend, even.

"Sure! Sounds great." Kairi smiled as Yuffie grinned and tossed her a brush. She could've sworn she heard Leon let out a small sigh of relief as Yuffie poured paint into the paint tray she had on the floor. Aerith smiled warmly at Kairi before striking up a conversation with Leon-- something about bookkeeping or whatever. Cloud and Tifa simply disappeared into the kitchen again, both of them seeming slightly sulky about something or other. So it was that Kairi found herself alone with Yuffie.

And Kairi was very pleased to discover that she wasn't quite as nervous as she thought she would be as Yuffie offered her a paintbrush before bouncing off towards one of the walls, paint tray in hand.

"We can start in this corner and just work our way around, okay? Since there's only one tray, we'll have to stay together, but we'll still get the work done twice as fast!"

Yuffie dipped her brush into the paint, bringing it up onto the plain white wall in one fluent motion. Kairi wasn't exactly about to admit that she had never really painted a wall before in her life, so she decided to just mimic the older girl's actions as best as she could. It was just painting a wall. How hard could it be?

"So anyway, after we're done here, do you think you could show me around the island a bit? The others have been here a while even though I just moved in a few days ago, so they already know their way around. Plus, you know, you've lived here your entire life, so maybe you know where--" Yuffie glanced at Kairi. "...Um... Kairi? I think the paint is supposed to go on the wall. Not on your face."

"Huh?" Kairi's eyes widened as Yuffie giggled, reaching towards her nose and swiping a large glob of yellow paint off. Instantly, she felt the blood rush to her face and knew she was blushing once more. Wonderful.

"You've never done any sort of handiwork before, huh?" Oddly enough, Yuffie didn't sound accusing or disappointed. Just rather amused.

"No, not really..."

"Here, you hold the brush like this..." Yuffie stepped over towards the smaller girl so that she was standing behind Kairi. Wrapping her free hand firmly around Kairi's, Yuffie squeezed her hand until Kairi's fingers were wrapped neatly around the handle of the brush. Kairi herself was not exactly that easy to repair. To put it simply, she felt like her hand was on fire.

Oddly enough... It was a _pleasant _sort of fire... Kairi shook her head in an attempt to jostle the thoughts out of her mind before she blinked at her hand. Yuffie's own fingers were still splayed across her skin, Kairi's island tan contrasting sharply with Yuffie's lighter tone.

"Oh. I... didn't even know I was holding it the wrong way," Kairi mumbled.

"Well... Now you know." Yuffie grinned and finally removed her hand, though the sensation of pins and needles still swarmed around Kairi's skin. Crazy. That's what it all was. Just plain old crazy.

Even though Yuffie's skin was no longer touching her, Kairi couldn't shake the scent of sweet pea from the air and quite frankly, she felt like she was just going to burst into a shower of ... embarrassment. ...If that were possible. ...Which is probably wasn't. Either way, it didn't really matter.

"Kairi, you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course!"

Yuffie smiled sweetly (just like her damn sweet pea lotion...) and waved her paintbrush playfully under Kairi's chin.

"You look distracted, is all. If you don't watch what you're doing you could end up with paint all over you." With a wicked grin, the older girl gently stroked the bristles of the paintbrush against Kairi's nose, leaving a trail of yellow paint in her wake. Kairi's eyes widened, a yelp escaping from her mouth as she grabbed for her nose with her free hand, Yuffie bursting into laughter.

"Hey! That was me-ean!" Slop.

"Gah! Kairi! I'm totally covered now!" Sploosh.

"_Yuffie_!!"

"What the hell are you--" Leon's typically emotionless mask slipped away momentarily, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

Both Yuffie and Kairi appeared to be no more than splotchy yellow balls, giggling at their own stupidity while they continued their paint war. Paint flung back and forth between the girls, occasionally hitting one of them and resulting in a shriek or some various shouts of triumph.

"Huh. Thankfully, Yuffie put down that handy-dandy drip cloth around the floor, ne?"

Leon glared down at Cloud, who had appeared behind him and was, at that moment, wedged between Leon and the doorway into the kitchen, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on in the dining room of the restaurant. Letting out a low growl, Leon whacked Cloud firmly on the back of the head before marching into the room.

"Yow! Hey, Leon, that was-- Leon! Look--"

Unfortunately, Leon had chosen that moment to ignore Cloud, just as he usually did. Perhaps if he'd paid more attention to the blonde, he could've avoided the glob of yellow paint that struck him on the side of his face, the action instantly plunging the room into silence. Kairi and Yuffie's mouths both dropped open at exactly the same instant as the girls blinked numbly at Leon.

...

...

"Well, Leon... Yellow looks _fabulous_ on you, if I do say so my--Owowowowow!" Cloud winced as Leon grabbed a fistful on blonde hair, tugging the spiky locks with a snarl.

"What the _hell_ are you both doing?"

Yuffie glanced at Kairi for some sort of encouragement before she cleared her throat and gave Leon her best smile, radiating nothing but pure innocence.

"We were painting, of course. No harm done. It's... _faster_ to do it this way! See? We've got almost half the wall done!" Kairi looked over at Yuffie as the older girl's voice trailed off. She caught the mischievous glimmer in Yuffie's eyes, and before she'd even opened her mouth once more, Kairi could already have guessed the words that were about to spill out.

"And you look spectacular with that blonde, too."

Whether Yuffie was speaking of the paint covering half of Leon's face or Cloud, who had once again appeared at his side, Kairi couldn't tell.

She supposed it worked either way.

--------

"Well, uh... Today was fun."

"Yeah! You should stop by tomorrow morning! Cloud'll cook us breakfast since he always gets there so early."

"What's with him and Leon, anyway? You said Leon wasn't... Well... You know. It's none of my business, but..."

"Oh no, no, no! They're not a couple. Cloud really likes Leon though, even though Leon's... Well, he's hard to get along with."

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

Yuffie and Kairi stood in a slightly awkward silence outside of Kairi's house. The stone steps leading up to the front door seemed leagues away from the two of them, and Kairi wanted nothing more to just ignore the distance, turn around, and just follow Yuffie. She really had enjoyed spending the entire day with Yuffie and her friends, even though Kairi knew that she'd definitely hear an earful about it from her mother...

It was nothing like the previous encounters between the two. But at the same time, it felt exactly the same. There was a nervousness about them as they stood outside of Kairi's house, neither of them absolutely sure of what to do and neither of them really knowing _why_.

Eventually, though, the sun was nearly gone and darkness was quickly advancing upon the island sky, forcing Yuffie to finally say farewell to Kairi and return to her own apartment. Kairi smiled and waved farewell, agreeing to meet Yuffie back at the restaurant first thing in the morning with the promise of Cloud's specially prepared breakfast.

She sat through her parents' lecture, nodding and apologizing at all the right times, saying all the right things and finally being dismissed and allowed into her room. Kairi had no doubt that she'd be spending the evening in the isolation of that room, but she didn't mind it in the least. She had her music, she had her posters, and she definitely had plenty of her own thoughts and musings to keep her company through the night.

.........................................................

So many questions, so many questions! Is Yuffie a big flirt, or is it just the way she is? Will Kairi ever figure out how to paint a wall the correct way? Will Leon ever figure out how to be nice to said walls? But I know the **big** question on everyone's mind is...

Will Cloud _ever_ get his spatula?

Who knows.

I'm having a blast writing this. It's like one big mixed salad of random _things_, drenched in a nice raspberry vinaigrette with some of those cute little cherry tomatoes. Yep. I can taste it now.

Just to let you all know (because I'm sure you're oh-so-interested), I'm planning on dragging out Kairi and Yuffie's friendship for a long while. Why, you might ask? Well just lookie here. Kairi, at the moment, is basically a skittish little kid who has no idea what she wants or even what she's doing. Yuffie knows what she's doing, but perhaps she's too laid back to do anything? Or perhaps she doesn't really know what she's doing? I'll let you figure it out.

Besides. I've got a whole boatload of ideas and situations I wanna try on these two. Seeing as no one has ever paired them before (I hope), I'm like a kid in a candy store with so many options and ideas at my fingertips. Hardy har har.

Song used is "I Tried to Rock You, But You Only Roll" by Leona Naess, I believe. Love that song.

Love you all, too.

Ori


	5. The Good Things

            I have _tried_ to write the next chapter for OftB multiple times now.  Trust me, I really, really have.  ...And I've got about half a page done.  ==  I know, I'm horrible.  Just... Arrrgh.  For those of you who read this fic, hopefully it'll tide you over until I can get my brain sorted out.  Nice big chapter.  Yum.

................................................................................................................

**Raspberry Heaven**

'The Good Things'

            Yuffie swung her legs back and forth, lazily straddling the small wooden chair in the kitchen as she watched Cloud bustle about with and easy efficiency that seemed to come only to him.  All the while, he managed to carry on a normal conversation with Yuffie, minus the whole concept of eye-contact and whatever else went on during those strange 'speaking-with-another-human-being' things.

            "--And to top it all off, we don't even sleep in the same room anymore!  His room is all the way across the apartment from me!"

            Unable to keep a smirk from appearing on her face, Yuffie did her best to try and cover her mouth by resting her chin on the back of the chair, arms crossing in front of it.

            "Well, I imagine Leon has his reasons Cloud.  I mean, you _were_ always sneaking into his bed when you guys shared a room, if I remember correctly..."

            "That is _definitely _not the point!  I wasn't doing that because I wanted _sex_ or anything."  Cloud huffed indignantly as he picked up a large wooden spoon, brandishing it like a scepter as he waved it around while he spoke for emphasis.  "Is it really so terribly wrong that I would feel like curling up next to someone after having a crappy day?  Is it??  No!"

            Yuffie almost felt sorry for the pancake batter as Cloud jabbed the spoon into it, seeming to blame the batter itself for all his problems.  Cursed pancake batter.  Always meddling in the affairs of others.

           "All I'm saying is that I'm sure Leon knows what's best for him.  That's all."  When this got no response from Cloud, Yuffie let out a small sigh, shooting her friend a sympathetic look, even though his back was turned to her.  "I honestly don't understand why you're so fixated on him."

            "Yeah, well, you know, you sort of _wouldn't_ understand, Yuffie," Cloud said with a snort.  That was something.  At least he was making fun of her like he normally did.

            "Neee, you big meanie!  You're just suffering from sexual frustration, you know.  Poor Cloudy-poo."

            "Like you're one to talk.  It's not like you have a relationship going on."

            Yuffie's smirk stretched into a wide grin as she uncoiled her arms from the back of the chair and crossed them behind her head, stretching lazily before she stood up. 

            "You'd _think_ that, wouldn't you?"

            Cloud's eyes widened as he whirled around, nearly sending pancake batter spattering across the walls of the clean kitchen.

            "You're **kidding**."

            "Huh?  About what?" Yuffie asked, feigning pure innocence.

            "You have something going on with somebody??  And you didn't _tell _me?!  Yuffie!  All our years together!  What the hell?!"

            Yuffie giggled, walking over towards Cloud as she spoke.  It was obvious to anyone that she was eyeing the soon-to-be-pancakes, though. 

            "No, Cloud, I'm not having a fling without your knowledge.  I guarantee you, you'll be the first to know if I ever do have one."  Yuffie paused and thought about this for a moment before she added, "Again.  If I ever have one _again_.  And those need chocolate chips.  How could you forget the chocolate chips?"

            Cloud scowled as Yuffie's words took on a slightly whining tone.  There was a reason he didn't put the stupid chocolate chips in.  And he mumbled this reason as though it was some sort of secret password, giving him the excuse to do the most illogical things.

            "Ohh, because _Le-on_ doesn't like chocolate chips??"  Yuffie snorted and crossed her arms, letting a small pout form on her face.  "Yeah, well, screw him.  Oh wait, I'm mistaken.  You _can't_."  Yuffie was willing to admit that even for Cloud, those words might have just hit him below the belt. 

            Then again, as pancake batter spattered against the side of her face, Yuffie figured that Cloud deserved every word that came out of her mouth.

            "You bastard."

            "Terribly sorry, Yuffie.  Must've mistaken your face for the frying pan."

            "Raaawgh!  **_Cloud_**!!"

            The impending food fight was cut short however, for Yuffie heard the jingle of bells from the front of the restaurant, meaning that Kairi had just arrived.  Finally, someone to side with her against the evil blond porcupine.  ...Who just happened to be wielding a spatula at the moment.  Yuffie hightailed it out of the kitchen, nearly slamming right into Kairi on her way out.

            "Yikes, sorry!" Kairi began to apologize profusely for colliding with the older girl, but then she noticed something slightly out of place.  "Er... Yuffie?  You've got, ah... Um... What exactly is that all over your face?" Kairi asked, pointing to the pale goop still dripping down Yuffie's hair and face.

            Both Yuffie and Cloud were dead silent for a few seconds before both of them scowled and exclaimed, "It's _pancake batter_!"

            "Oh right, sorry."

Cloud grumbled something under his breath before turning back to his pancake batter, stirring away at it with a vengeance.  Yuffie rolled her eyes and motioned for Kairi to have a seat while she went into the bathroom and attempted to clean her batter-encrusted face and hair.

Kairi swung her legs back and forth, awaiting Yuffie's return quietly.  She didn't really know Cloud at all, so she was rather startled when he began speaking to her, back to the stove which was suddenly holding a frying pan full of little circles of pancake batter.

"Huh.  Yuffie does that too."

"Does what?"

"That thing.  You know, your swinging your feet around like you're nervous or something."  Almost on a reflex, Kairi's legs stopped the motion and she blinked in surprise.  She hadn't exactly been aware that she was doing it... It was just something she did.

Cloud chuckled, turning back to the frying pan for a moment in order to flip the pancakes.  "It's not bad or anything.  I was just saying, is all."  Cloud would've pointed out that Yuffie and Kairi seemed to share a lot of things in common (i.e. the bracelet Kairi currently wore on her wrist... Ahem.) but he didn't exactly want to make the girl any more fidgety than she already was. 

"Behold!  A sparkling clean Yuffie!" 

Sure enough, the Yuffie in question pranced into the kitchen, completely batter-free, even though her hair was still slightly damp.  Cloud tore his eyes away from the pancakes he was placing on a plate, long enough to snicker and poke fun at poor Yuffie.

"What'd you do, take a shower in the sink?"

"Ha, ha, ha.  You're so _funny_."  Yuffie turned to Kairi then, a concerned look upon her face.  "He didn't terrorize you or anything while I was gone, did he?  He's having one of his _days_ again.  If I were you, I'd--"

"What the--??  I don't **have** 'days!'  What the hell are you--?"

"See what I mean?  Hurry, Kairi, we gotta head for the hills!" 

Yuffie snatched the plate of pancakes out of Cloud's grasp before grabbing Kairi's wrist and dragging the smaller girl out to the front of the restaurant, placing the plate on a table and pulling down two chairs.  Before Kairi could even ask what she was doing, Yuffie had set four plates, four glasses, silverware, syrup, butter, and orange juice all at the table in the blink of an eye.

Whoa.  Where'd she learn to do _that_?

As though she were reading Kairi's mind, Yuffie chuckled and said, "Hey, when you've had as many jobs as I've had, you pick up a thing or two from each."  Yuffie grinned and plopped down in a chair, motioning for Kairi to sit down beside her.  "For example, I was a DJ once and you have to change music and everything really fast or people get cranky, right?  Changing CDs, changing plates... They're in the same ballpark, see?"

Kairi laughed and was inwardly surprised with herself.  She hadn't started blushing or getting really nervous yet...  One point for Kairi.  Whoo. 

"Hey wait, why are there four plates?"

Yuffie leaned in towards Kairi as though she were sharing some deep dark secret.  Unfortunately, the motion caused Kairi to lose her cool and her face took on a familiar warm feeling as blood rushed towards her cheeks.  Damn.  Minus one point, Kairi.  Back to the drawing board.

"Leon's here too.  He's been in the back talking to some guy on the phone, but that's why Cloud's being so super-careful.  Notice how the pancakes are like... perfect?"

Kairi glanced at the plate in the middle of the table, her eyes widening slightly as she did so.  Each and every pancake was a perfect circle.  Absolutely _perfect_, just as Yuffie had said.

"And the fun part's about to start.  Just sit back and watch.  You might learn something about your future co-workers, ne?"

Half a second later, both Cloud and Leon walked out of the kitchen, Cloud carrying another plate stacked with pancakes and a determined look on his face.  Kairi did her best not to show or voice her confusion to Yuffie, though.  She'd said to just watch... So that was what Kairi was going to do.  Just watch. 

Cloud set the plate in his hand down before seating himself beside Leon.  He shot Yuffie and Kairi a broad smile.

"Hey, don't wait for us!  You guys go ahead and eat!"  Both girls were more than happy to comply with his request, though Kairi's feeling of confusion only seemed to keep growing.  Was she missing something here?

But she obediently followed Cloud's orders along with Yuffie, who cheerily passed the plate of pancakes around the table.  Once everyone's plate had been loaded to their desire with the fluffy white pancakes, Kairi and Yuffie wasted no time in diving into their breakfast, though Kairi was still rather lost and confused.  Moments later, though, things began to piece together.

Leon carefully placed the food into his mouth, chewing slowly under the careful scrutiny of Cloud's blue eyes.

"Well?" Cloud asked.

"Easy."  Leon allowed a small smirk of triumph to slip onto his face as he leaned back in his chair.  "You used ginger and a very small amount of nutmeg.  It's not that hard to figure out, you know."

Leon's simple words turned Cloud's happy and anxious face into one holding a stubborn pout almost instantly.  Kairi paused her fork's journey to her mouth in order to watch the interaction between the two, her own hesitation earning Kairi a snicker from Yuffie. 

"Yeah, well, I'd like to see you try!"  Cloud crossed his arms and scowled moodily at the brunette.

"Been there, done that.  Face it Cloud, you just can't do it."

"Well _may_be if I had a better _spatula--_"

"That wouldn't make a difference."

"What do you know **anyway**??  Sheesh, Leon!"

Yuffie simply rolled her eyes and turned towards Kairi, speaking softly so as not to be heard by the two boys arguing beside them. 

"Leon's really big into the whole idea that a superb chef can use really simple herbs and spices in such a way that the person eating the dish can't tell what they are."  At this, Yuffie made a small face.  "I don't really get it, but it's this huge competition Cloud and Leon have going on between them.  Pretty messed up, if you asked me."

Yuffie's explanation was cut short as Leon stood up from the table, a trace of his wicked smirk still resting on the corners of his mouth. 

"Well if you'll all excuse me, I have to get back to planning Friday's opening.  I'll be in the back.  Don't bother me or do anything stupid."  With that, he turned to go, throwing one last statement over his shoulder as he did so.  "That means you, Cloud."  And with a swish of the kitchen door and a slam of the door behind that one, Kairi, Yuffie, and Cloud were left to their own devices.

"Just what does he mean by that?"  Cloud scoffed and stood up to clear off the table.  "I don't do stupid things...  And if he didn't want me to bother him so much, he wouldn't live with me, for crying out loud.  Honestly, what a stick in the mud that jerk can be.  See if I make **him** any chicken noodle soup when he gets sick!  As a matter of fact, I hope he just rots in--"

"Weeell, that's lovely Cloud, but I've gotta be showing Kairi the ropes around here so we can get off early!"  Yuffie grinned and clapped the blonde on the back, though she earned a confused look from both Cloud and Kairi.

"Where are you guys off to?"

"We're doing what?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes, leaning against the table and studying her two friends as though they both suddenly possessed the intelligence of the average five-year-old. 

"You said you'd show me around, Kairi, remember?"  A sweet and innocent smile followed her voice and Kairi instantly felt her heart melt in response.  "Besides, we're not opening 'til Friday!  Nothing's happening around here that everyone else can't take care of for a while."

Cloud snorted at this and frowned at Yuffie, obviously not too keen on her low work-ethic.  "Yeah, but you know that... that... Aww, what'd Leon say his name was anyhow?"

"Cid Highwind?" Yuffie offered.

"Yeah, that guy.  He's coming in to inspect the place tomorrow morning for health regulation crap.  Leon'll _kill_ us if we don't pass this inspection and he loses the loan."  Somehow, Kairi got the idea that Cloud wasn't exaggerating when he brought up their life or death situation.  She fought the urge to wince, instead just keeping a still and passive expression on her face.

"Trust me Cloudy-boy, we'll be fine.  Besides, I _totally_ deserve the break!"  And with that, Yuffie laughed and turned to go towards the kitchen, beckoning for Kairi to follow (which, of course, she was more than willing to do.)

"But you just _got here_, Yuffie!"

But Yuffie was long gone.

-------

            An hour later, Kairi was well-rehearsed on the placement of dishes and eating utensils, the location of the salt and pepper, what cleaning products were used where, and which key opened which door.  Now all that was left was taking orders and receiving her apron, and then Yuffie had promised that they would fly out of the restaurant like nobody's business. 

            However, the jingle of bells from the front of the restaurant brought their cheery plans to a rather abrupt and sudden halt. 

            Yuffie had already pulled on a baggy sweatshirt and a ratty blue baseball cap ("I burn easily.  Stop laughing, it doesn't look _that_ bad!") in preparation for their momentary departure and had moved to help Kairi tie her apron in the back. 

            "Don't worry about the door, Aerith'll get it.  Someone probably just wants to know what day we're opening or if there's any more job slots open." 

            Kairi wasn't exactly listening, but she nodded anyway.  She was too busy trying to keep from blushing as she felt Yuffie's hands gently tying the apron she was trying on.  Part of Kairi actually hoped it wouldn't fit just so that Yuffie would have to tie another set of apron strings for her. 

            _...I have **got** to stop thinking like that._

"--Yes, she's in the back right now!  Just a moment, Miss."  Aerith's voice grew louder as the girl neared the doorway to the kitchen before her head came into view.  "Kairi, your mom's here!" 

            Embarrassment?  Oh yes.

            "Are you _kidding_ me?" were the only words Kairi could utter as she suddenly squirmed her way out of the apron, darting through the door to the kitchen and knocking poor Aerith off her feet.  Yuffie made a mental note to put a warning sign on the swinging door.  Or at least have it removed.  Too many people suffered because of it. 

            But that was as the bottom of her to-do list as she hurried after Kairi.

            "Mom!  What are you _doing _here??"

            "Kairi, dear, I thought I'd find you here!  I just _had_ to come get you!  I was talking to Selphie earlier today-- she dropped by the house looking for you and we just started talking, you know-- and she told me the most precious thing!"  Yuffie was now standing in the doorway of the kitchen, unnoticed by Kairi's mother and by Kairi herself, who simply had her back turned to the older girl.

            That was Kairi's mother?  Yuffie had never met the woman face to face.  And for some reason she couldn't suppress the slight frown that had settled on her face.  Even though it was ridiculous, Yuffie just didn't like that woman.  She felt guilty because of it, sure, but that didn't change the fact that Yuffie was just picking up some seriously annoying vibes from the woman in front of Kairi.

            "She told me that she'd spent the morning with Tidus and..." Yuffie noticed the slight drop in the woman's voice as she mumbled the next few words, "those other two friends of yours...  Anyway, she was out on the beach with them and that sweet boy Tidus confided in her the most precious of all secrets!"  Honestly, the way Kairi's mother could ramble on, it was no wonder the girl seemed so short for words around Yuffie all the time.  Maybe her mother just sucked the voice right out of everyone to use for her own mindless babble.

            "Mom, can't you just tell me lat--" Kairi tried to cut in. 

            "Nononono!  Of course not!  This is terribly important, Kairi!  Don't interrupt!"  Word-sucking power, right there.  Yuffie had seen it with her own eyes, for Kairi shut up right there. 

            "He _told_ Selphie to ask _you_ who you... well, you know... Who you _have a crush on_.  Isn't that adorable??  And then when she asked why, apparently that cute little boy blushed and went all shy and timid and, well, to make a long, but nevertheless _engrossing_ story short...  Tidus seems to have developed a little crush on you!  Isn't that wonderful?" 

            Kairi's expression remained blank for an abnormally long period of time, but just when her mother was beginning to wonder if her daughter had fallen asleep on her, Kairi's brain realized it was supposed to respond.  But what was she supposed to say?  "Sorry, mum, I'm madly in love with a walking-talking figurine of everything you despise in a girl and... well, _to make a **long** but nevertheless **engrossing** story short_, I can't go out with Blondie!  Sorry!"  That would go over _so_ well.

            So instead, Kairi did the only thing she could think of that would be expected of her.

            "Oh, really?  That's... great!"  A sweet and timid smile was well-received by Kairi's mother, who squealed in delight before bringing her daughter into a bone-crushing hug. 

            It wasn't that she was a bad person or a bad mother.  She had been worried about her daughter and her morals, which she believed had been slowly eroding over time.  In all her years of knowing Selphie as Kairi's only female friend (therefore instantly favoring Selphie and her girly habits), Kairi's mother had always been asking the brown-haired girl of her daughter's welfare, even though most rules of any parental code would've instructed her to ask her daughter for herself.

            So why didn't she?

            Kairi's mother was simply afraid of what she would hear from Kairi, for she knew her daughter quite well, in some respects, and therefore she knew that Kairi did not lie.  It was physically impossible for her little angel to ever allow anything but the truth to come out of her mouth, surely.  And, _surely_, if Kairi had a boyfriend and was surrounded by the _right_ people, then any possible erosion of her pristine morals and her perfect upbringing would be saved.  Poor little Kairi could be saved from this strange demon that had been following her in the shadows, putting posters up on her walls and putting music in her head. 

            And all any parent ever wants is what is best for their child.

            Now, Yuffie was smarter than most people gave her credit for, and she knew that fact very well.  Instinct is what had driven Kairi's mother to fling this idea towards her daughter, expecting a joyous reaction.  But Yuffie's thinking was cut short as Kairi's mother finally took notice of her, a broad grin stretching across her face.

            "Oh?  And who is this handsome young boy?" 

            As expected, the room went dead silent as Kairi turned around, eyes almost as wide as Yuffie's.  Both pairs of eyes met and there was a silent message exchanged between the two in a matter of only a few seconds.

            _Your mother has gone off her rocker._

_            Yes, I know.  Please forgive me._

"Um, Mom, that's Yuffie... Uh, sh--"

            "Hi there!  Nice to meet you!"  Yuffie moved out of the doorway, walking towards Kairi and her mother.  It was understandable how Kairi's mother had mistaken her for a boy.  Yuffie's baggy sweatshirt concealed her figure very well and her baseball cap made her short-cropped hair stick out from underneath it in all directions.  That, along with her boyish grin, was enough to convince anyone that the person they were looking at was either a tomboy or simply a very feminine-looking man.  Obviously, Kairi's mother had opted for the latter.

            "I'm Janice, Kairi's mother.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuffie!  It's not every day Kairi meets such nice and charming boys like you."  This statement managed to provoke a small glare from Kairi, who personally found both Riku and Sora to be very 'charming' boys.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with them...  At least they really _were_ boys!

            "Well it's not every day we get someone as nice as her working around here, you know."  Yuffie shot another million-watt grin towards Kairi's mother, melting her heart as it's unbearable warmth washed over her.  Kairi couldn't even stop the telltale blush that spread across her face, so she instead chose to look at the floor, suddenly seeming very interested in the well-being of her shoes.

            "That's very nice of you.  How old are you, might I ask?"  The wheels inside Janice's head were obviously turning as fast as they could manage, scheme after scheme being created and tucked away for safe keeping and possible use for later.

            "Nineteen.  Taking a few years off from college so I can figure out what I want to do with my life.  Leon's the one who came up with idea of coming here."  Another flash of a grin.  "Glad he did, though.  Destiny Islands are absolutely gorgeous.  I've never been somewhere as nice as here before, you know!" 

            "I personally think it's very smart of you to be taking a break before school like that.  Once you go back to college, you can really know which direction you want to go in life and you'll probably have a better head on your shoulders, too." 

            "Well I'm glad you think so.  Not everybody does."

            Words, words, words.  Yuffie was saying everything _right_ and it was almost enough to scare Kairi to death.  Her mother was absolutely captivated by every word, every _sound_ coming out of the mouth of the girl she believed to be a boy.  And Yuffie never missed a beat.

            "What'll Kairi need for a uniform?  Well, we were originally just going to require an apron and waiters could wear whatever they wanted under that, but Leon said we might want to try looking a bit more professional.  Black pants and a white button up shirt should be good enough.  Black shoes if you have them, but they're not a really big deal." 

            Janice nodded, taking in every word like it was a prayer just for her.  And before Kairi knew it, Yuffie was speaking again, but moving towards the door as she did so.

            "Kairi was going to show me around the island a bit today, but it's already getting pretty late and I'm sure she'll want to be doing something about this Tidus boy, right?"  Yuffie gave Kairi a warm smile, but Kairi was surprised to find that it didn't contain the radiance she had come to expect from Yuffie's smile.  This one looked almost... Kairi couldn't pinpoint it.  The look was gone too fast as Yuffie's gaze returned to Janice, where all walls were put up and it was purely an act.

            "Oh yes, I do hope something comes of it.  But you'll look out for Kairi should anything go awry, I'm sure?"  There was a hopeful note in Janice's voice and it was then that Kairi realized that her mother's plans for Yuffie weren't those of love.  No, she saw Yuffie as an older brother.  A protector, a guide, and the perfect example of anything and everything that could be right in a man.  Too old for Kairi, certainly, but had Janice ever had a son, her thoughts were certainly have turned into something like:  "Oh, I hope dear little Kosha ends up as sweet as this man."

            Yuffie looked at Kairi with that small smile again.  That one that bothered Kairi beyond all belief.  That one she really didn't want to see. 

            "Sure thing!  Kairi's like a little sister to me, you know..."

-------

            _I'm everyone's little sister.  _

            Kairi had flung herself face down on her bed that evening, telling her mother that she was tired from the day's events and just wanted nothing more than to lie down for a little while, even if it was too early to go to bed. 

            Try as she might, Kairi couldn't figure out if Yuffie had simply been acting when she'd said those words or not.  It was stupid for Kairi to hope for anything more than friendship, but being another little sister to someone was just something she didn't want. 

            And then there was Tidus.  Sure, he was nice and all, but Kairi _knew_ Selphie was head-over-heels in love with the boy.  But if Tidus had a crush on Kairi, it was Selphie's duty as the islands' self-appointed matchmaker to help him get his girl, putting his wants and needs before her own.  It was sweet, but bitter.  Bittersweet.  A nasty kind of chocolate. 

-------

            "Yuffie, what's wrong?" Cloud asked with a puzzled frown.  He'd only recently found out about Kairi's mother coming and speaking with Yuffie before taking her daughter out to go shopping for the clothes Yuffie had specified in their conversation.  Yes, it meant that Yuffie's tour of the island would have to wait for another day, but that was no reason for Yuffie to look as depressed as she did. 

            She'd been washing that same spot on the counter for the past half-hour, and it had been Leon who had pointed it out to Cloud, mentioning that if Yuffie wore a hole through the countertop, heads would roll.  So it was that Cloud took it upon himself to try and find out what was ailing his friend, now that everyone but Leon had left the restaurant to head home for the night.

            Yuffie seemed not to hear him at all, or if she did it just didn't register.

            "Yuffie?"

            "It's nothing," she said, giving Cloud a smile before throwing away the paper towel in her hand.  "Hey, it's late.  I'm heading home.  See you tomorrow, then, right?" 

"...Right..."

And Yuffie was gone, but she didn't throw one last friendly insult Cloud's way like she normally did.  She didn't whistle one of the many songs stored in her brain like she usually did after a long day's work.  She just _smiled_, waved, and was on her way.

-------

            The phone was ringing.  A tiny voice in the back of Kairi's head told her to answer to it, seeing as that was what normally happened when the phone rang.  But suddenly the idea popped into her head:  What if it was Yuffie? 

            Yuffie would call and apologize for her words that day, because she would've seen the rather upset look on Kairi's face before she left the restaurant.  She would tell Kairi that she was sorry for not telling her mother the truth and she would understand everything Kairi was going through.  She would be calm, cool, collected, and most importantly, she would be Yuffie. 

           Of course, then the fact that Yuffie had no idea what Kairi's number was hit poor Kairi like a sac of bricks.  Numbly, Kairi answered the phone with a dull hello.

            "Kairi?  Hey, it's Tidus."

            "Hey, Tidus."

            Awkward silence.

            "Uh... I know it's kinda late, but I was wondering if you could maybe meet me down by the boardwalk...?  Maybe?"

            "...Sure."  _What am I doing?_  "I'll be right there."

................................................................................................

            ...Yep.  Haven't updated in forever.  Don't really have any reason other than finals.  But now that I'm out for summer break, hopefully I'll be updating much more.  I'm not doing color guard this year (we finally get a guy to join the guard, and he's our _choreographer_.  ...Long story short, I just can't stand the way he wants us to learn... There's more, but that's all you need know) so updates on OftB may be a bit rarer, but it will get finished.  I've come too far to just drop it now. 

            I'm actually quite happy with the way this chapter turned out.  The writing style sort of changes a bit because I read like crazy (took a 24 hour break to absolutely devour my copy of The Phantom of the Opera.  Lost three pounds because I wasn't reading, I was sleeping, and I don't think I ate a thing the entire time I was locked in my room reading obsessively) before I finished the chapter, and the author's work was so great that the way he wrote sentences sort of stuck on my brain.  (If you haven't read The Phantom of the Opera, go buy a copy!  ...Only make sure you get a well-translated version, as it was originally in French.)

            Please don't give up on me!  I'm still here, I'm still writing, but there're a lot of things going on all at once.  It's crazy, confusing, and I feel like I'm walking backwards.  School has been out for one day and already I find myself trying to remember what my closest friends look like.  I'm a loony one.

--Ori


	6. Backlash

Well if you wanted to read the whole scene between Tidus and Kairi... There is none.  XD  Terribly sorry everyone, but I wrote and rewrote that bit and it was just too boring.  So I cut it.  Instead, you get conversation flashbacks.  Joy!

.....................................................................................................

**Raspberry Heaven **

'Backlash'

            Yuffie should have known something was wrong the very second she set foot inside the restaurant.  She was early once more, not because of the promise of pancakes, but simply because she felt that if she sat around her apartment much longer, she would start writing her meager little woes all over the wall in permanent marker.  And Yuffie's landlord certainly wouldn't have been happy about _that_.

            However there was no cheerful humming or scrumptious smell of cooking food to let Yuffie know that Cloud was there.  ...But the front door had been unlocked, the lights were on...  So that meant Leon was there without Cloud?  Not possible. 

            Yuffie's eyes widened in realization as she covered to mouth to try and muffle her squeak of dismay.  Someone must have broken into the restaurant!  And they hadn't even opened yet!  What the hell??  As quickly and quietly as possible, Yuffie crept over towards the door to the kitchen, pressing herself against the wall to avoid being seen through the small window peering into the next room.  This was bad.  This was **very** bad. 

            "Cloud, is that you?"  Leon??

            _Shit, they must be holding him hostage._  Yuffie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from replying to Leon's call.  _Poor __Leon__!  All alone and without his Cloudy-bear...  He must be terrified... Poor, poor __Leon__..._

            These were poor _Yuffie's_ last mildly coherent thoughts before the kitchen door was flung open and cracked against her head, sending her toppling to the floor with a small whimper.  Leon gaped at the heap on the floor before quickly kneeling down beside Yuffie, who was cradling her head in her hands, trying to figure out why the damn world was suddenly doing cartwheels.

            But there was no worried exclamation of "Are you okay, Yuffie?"

            No, there wasn't a single utterance of an "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!"

            Instead, Leon grabbed Yuffie by the shoulders, shaking her already battered body frantically.

            "Have you seen Cloud??"

            Perhaps if Yuffie had been in a better mood, Leon's naive stupidity wouldn't nearly have cost him his life.

            "What the **_hell_** do you _mean_, you asshole?!  You practically **killed** me, you son of a--  I could sue those damned tight leather faerie pants right off your ass, you little--  'WHERE'S CLOUD??'  '**Where's CLOUD**??'  I don't know where the _hell_ **CLOUD** is, but wherever he is, he'll be glad he's not here because when I can see straight, you are so _dead_, Le--"  After flinging Leon away from her and nearly clawing his eyes out, Yuffie suddenly stopped her angry storm mid-sentence, falling back on pained moans and whimpers as she clutched her head pitifully.  Occasionally she would mumble a string of creatively assembled curses, but for the most part, Leon appeared to be saved.

            "...So you haven't seen Cloud today?"

            A snarl came from the curled up ball known as Yuffie.  "_No_, I haven't seen the little shit.  Why?"

            There was silence for a moment, Leon's emotionless face taking on a tinge of the worry that was building up inside of him.  Finally, he let out a tired sigh, leaning back against the leg of one of the many tables in the restaurant as he numbly said, "We got in an argument last night and he stormed off somewhere.  I figured he'd sneak back in the apartment later, but he never turned up."

Yuffie finally deemed the world stable enough for her to open her eyes again as she peered up at Leon.  Now that she finally got a good look at him, Leon really did look terrible.  Small dark circles ringed his eyes, telling the world that he had gotten very little sleep, if any at all, and his hair was messier than usual.  Things were seriously wrong if Leon had messy hair. 

As she made a mental note to tell Cloud of Leon's condition (for Cloud would be simply delighted to hear about what his absence had done to Leon), Yuffie rested her elbows on her knees and cocked her head to the side, wincing at the bolt of pain that shot through her head due to the motion. 

"What was your argument about?"

"..."

"Let me guess..."  Yuffie smirked.  "He tried to get all cuddly with you, you pushed him off, and the dam finally broke inside our little Cloud."

"...Something like that."

The girl snorted, rolling her eyes at Leon's pathetic attempt at saving his dignity.  "Come on, we all totally saw _that_ one coming from miles away.  Okay, so you guys got in a fight, possibly resulting in an emotionally unstable Cloud, and said Cloud stormed off.  You didn't go after him?"

"No."

"You're such a loser."  Leon scowled at Yuffie then, though his evil look did nothing to faze her.  She'd long since become immune to Leon's infamous Death Glare.  "I'm usually not one to judge, ya know, but for what it's worth, Cloud really _does_ deserve better than you."  The glare vanished abruptly, replaced with Leon's mask of nothing, though it was quite difficult for him to keep the hurt look from showing.

Yuffie took that as her opportune moment to turn Leon's hateful gaze on himself, frowning at the man on the floor across from her as she stood up, one arm against the wall to keep her from falling over as the world pitched violently once more. 

"Or he at least deserves someone who can give as much as they receive."  Both were silent then for several moments before Yuffie decided that Leon had had enough time to simmer in his own ill fortune, just as she had had enough time being a frigid bitch.  "Hey, just get me an ice pack from the freezer and I'll feel better, okay?  Then we'll try and figure this whole Cloud thing out before the others show up."

Leon pulled himself up from the floor and silently did as Yuffie had requested, returning several minutes later with a bag of ice wrapped in a paper towel.  As he handed it to Yuffie, both of them sat down at a table in the front of the restaurant.  Morning sunlight was beginning to trickle into the room from outside and both of them knew that it wouldn't be long until either Aerith, Tifa, or Kairi showed up for work. 

More silence drifted between Yuffie and Leon, and as Yuffie began to return to her normal self (with a seriously bad headache, of course), she also took it upon herself to fill that awkward silence.

"Listen, I've known Cloud for a long time.  Not as long as Tifa, but still.  He's never done anything seriously stupid or... well, okay, let me rephrase that."  Yuffie frowned slightly, shifted the placement of the ice pack on her head.  She must've really gotten whacked by that door harder than she thought.  "He's never done anything stupid that he couldn't laugh about _later_.  ...Actually, there was that raspberry farm idea he had, which he still takes pretty seriously..."

More awkward silence.  Yuffie was running out of words surprisingly fast.  It was probably that fact which caused Leon to _also_ believe that the door may have hit Yuffie a bit too hard.

"Right, right, so the point is that Cloud will come back.  It's like that cat... you know... 'The cat came back the very next day!  The cat came back; he just wouldn't stay awaaaaay...'  Yep, that cat...  Come to think of it, Cloud's kinda like a dog, too.  He's loyal, playful, and likes to cuddle.  If I wasn't a lesbian, I'd _so_ be all over him..."  Yuffie sagged slightly against her arm, the icepack slipping slowly off of her forehead.

"That brings us to an importunt isshew... Vy ern't you... tutally crazy aboot... Mm... Meh head huuuurts..."  Thunk.  Leon's eyes widened in alarm as Yuffie's forehead once again met wood as it landed on the table.  "...Ow."

It was at that moment that the front door of the restaurant flew open, Leon whirling around, hoping, hoping, hoping... Only to find Aerith and Tifa standing in the doorway, shock written all over their faces.  Tifa was the first to speak.

"...You _killed_ her?!  Oh my--  Jeeze, Leon, I know she annoyed you sometimes, but you didn't have to--!"

"Oh shut up, I didn't kill her.  She hit her head."

A muffled response from Yuffie shot into the room.  "Like hell.  Fucking murderer."

"Leon!"

"Aerith, not you too..."

"Actually, I was just going to ask you to move Yuffie's ice pack.  It's dripping onto the table."

Another quiet mutter.  "Nice to know you care."

Aerith smiled sympathetically at Yuffie, even though the girl couldn't see it.  "Are you okay, Yuffie?"  She pat Yuffie's back gently before scooping the ice pack up from off of the table and resting it against the mop of black-and-blond-streaked hair.

"Yeah, I'm good."

Silence once again.

"...Have either of you two seen Cloud?" Leon asked.

-------

            Yuffie was just tying the strings of her apron when Kairi finally showed up.  The younger girl's mouth stretched into an enormous yawn as she plopped down at the table across from Yuffie, resting her chin on her two clasped hands.  Instantly, Yuffie noticed that Kairi's hair also seemed somewhat messy.  ...What _was_ with people and their hair today? 

            "G'morning, Kairi!"

            "Morning, Yuffie."  Kairi gave her friend a sleepy smile as she continued to fight the never-ending battle of keeping her eyes open.  Last night's late meeting with Tidus... well... 

            _"Kairi... Um... If you don't want to, that's okay!"_

_            "No, no, it's not that, I was just sort of... surprised.  But... ah... yes?"_

_            "But really, if you don't want to go out with me, it's okay!"_

_            "Tidus, I said yes."_

_            "...You did?"_

If Kairi looked on the bright side, she could convince herself that things could be worse.  However, Kairi _wasn't_ looking on the bright side and it _didn't_ look like things could get worse.  ...That is, unless a huge hurricane just opened up right over the restaurant, sent down twenty-seven tornadoes and ripped the entire building apart.  Kairi, of course, would get hit in the head with flying-debris-of-doom, and while her senses were frazzled, she would tell Yuffie how madly in love she was with her.  Then Yuffie would giggle and say something along the lines of:  "Sorry, sweetie, but I'm already going out with Tifa!  Hehe!" 

            Yuffie's voice snapped Kairi out of her sleepy dreamlike trance as she said, "Aww, look at you this morning!  You are by far the _cutest_!" 

            "W-what?!"

            Not seeming to take any notice of the now incredibly-flustered Kairi in front of her, Yuffie jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the kitchen.  "Everyone's totally out of it today.  Cloud's missing, Leon's hair is a mess, just like his state of mind, and Tifa's going to blow a fuse if she's the only chef on duty when this Cid guy shows up and last but not least, Aerith has lost her hair bow.  You've just got this cute little sleepy look on your face.  Unlike the rest of the world, you don't look like a walking zombie."

            "...Um... Hey, Yuffie?  Is your head okay?  You've got this really bad bruise on you forehea--"

            Yuffie sulked, covering up the painful splotch of purple with her hand.  "Yeah, yeah, I know.  I told you Leon wasn't right in the head today.  Haha, get it?  'Right in the head?'  Kinda like how Leon hit me with a door.  _Right in the head_."

            Kairi managed to get her apron on all by herself, tying the strings tight just to make sure that she wouldn't have to retie the damn thing anytime soon.  In the bathroom of the restaurant, Kairi glanced at herself in the mirror and blinked owlishly at her reflection.  The waitress getup really _did_ make her look a lot older and sophisticated, like Yuffie had said it would.

            "Hey, Kairi!  How's the--  Ooooh, lookin' snazzy!"  Yuffie beamed at Kairi as she opened the door to the bathroom, admiring the younger girl's black and white attire. 

            "Hehehe, thanks."  Wow, two compliments like that from Yuffie in one day?  Kairi could definitely get used to working there.  "Uh, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

            Yuffie smirked, leaning against the tiled wall and crossing her arms in front of her chest.  "Oh, you know, just the usual.  I was thinking about how tired you looked this morning and _then_ I remembered what your mom shared with us yesterday when she dropped by to visit.  Were you up all night talking to that Tidus guy on the phone?"

            Kairi let out a small sigh.  Well, she really shouldn't have been surprised.  She'd known someone was going to ask about it eventually.  She's just been hoping that that someone wouldn't end up being Yuffie.

            There was no real way to put it that sounded good to Kairi.  'Well, I went to go see him last night at the boardwalk, he asked me out, and I said yes because I'm trying to convince the world that I'm not gay.  However, if you're not taken, I would very much rather be going out with you.'  Or even better:  'Yes, Yuffie.  I am madly in love with this **boy** and he is my **boy**friend now because, up until a few days ago, I thought I really needed a **boy**friend in order to prove that I liked **boys** at all.  _But instead I just developed a massive crush on you, so whoop-de-friggin-doo, **are you happy now**?!'_

Ah, the world was full of choices.

            "Umm... Well... Heh.  See... He's uh... I... You know."  Because that just made so much sense and all.  Kairi frowned.  Yuffie frowned.  We're sorry, please try again.

            "Okay, so it's like this.  ...Yeah."  Yuffie was just looking really confused right at about that point.  Poor Yuffie.  _The hell?  Poor Yuffie?  I'm the one bumbling around like a monkey on crack.  I think I deserve some sympathy._  And yet Kairi didn't feel sorry for herself.  She just felt...

            Stupid.

            "He asked me to go out with him," Kairi muttered.  Yuffie's confused look was gone, replaced with one that was simply inquisitive.  Not disappointed?  ...Why had Kairi been hoping for disappointment?  ...Oh, that was right.  Haha.  How could she forget?

            "Soo?  What'd you say?"

            "...Yes."

            "Aww!  Jeeze, Kairi, you don't seem too excited about it!  Don't worry, though.  It's only normal for you to be nervous.  He's your first boyfriend, huh?"  Dammit, why was Yuffie so _perky_ about it?

            "Yeah.  He is..."

            "Well I wanna meet him!"

            "You can... I guess..."

            "Yaaay!  I know!  Why don't you tell him to stop by tomorrow when we open up?  And make him bring lots of friends too.  We'll reel in customers like nobody's business!"  Yuffie slapped on a determined grin as she waved to Kairi before prancing out of the bathroom, the door swinging shut with a thud behind her.  ...And then Kairi was alone.

            "Whoa, Kairi!  Cid's here!"  Fwoosh.  The door was open, Yuffie was back, and bing!  Kairi was alone no more.  Rather, Kairi was suddenly finding herself being ushered out of the bathroom and back towards the front of the restaurant where everyone else was already waiting, lined up in front of the man who was apparently Cid.  Filing in between Yuffie and Aerith, Kairi replaced the look of surprise on her face with a simple smile. 

            ...Which she quickly erased.  Cid didn't seem like he was a smiley kind of guy.  O-kay then.

            Cid surveyed the assembly of people in front of him before glancing at Leon.  "Hey, I thought ya said you had two cooks?"

            "...One of them is... _sick_."  The last word came out rather choked and both Yuffie and Kairi cast their own worried glances towards Leon, who simply gave a small cough and returned to his statuesque nature.  ...Huh.  That seemed a bit odd.

            "Okay, whatever.  Let's get this show on the road then."

            Leon nodded towards Tifa, who accompanied Cid to the kitchen to give a demonstration on food preparation.  No sooner had the two left the room did Leon's expressionless mask dissolve into a _very_ pissed-off scowl.  And as Aerith, Yuffie, and Kairi all looked on, Leon turned towards the door and uttered six short words.

            "I.  Am.  Going.  To.  Kill.  Him."  And with a clap of thunder and a ring of bells, it was suddenly clear just who Leon was talking about.

            "_--I saw you slippin' out the back door, baby._

_            Don't even try and find a line this time, it's fine, _

_            Darlin' you're still divine!_

_            You don't love me at all_

_            But don't think that it bothers me at all!_

_            You're bad, honey,_

_            Boy-trap, baby doll, but you're--_

_            You're so damn hot!_"

            Yes, a very happy Cloud was waltzing into the restaurant at that very moment, looking quite stunning in his sleeveless black turtleneck and blue jeans.  Mistake number one?  Cloud had apparently forgotten that he was going to work.  His white collared shirt and black slacks were still wadded up in a bundle back at the apartment.

            As Cloud twirled through the door, singing merrily away, he called out as loudly as he could, "Tifa!  My jellybeans!  I need my jellybeans!  I'm absolutely _ravenous_!  Hee hee hee!"  Blue eyes closed to the world, Cloud continued to amaze the small crowd that was gawking at his behavior (with the exception of Leon, who was absolutely livid) by somehow managing to avoid bashing into the various tables and chairs that lay in his path as he danced his way to the back of the dining room.

            "Cloud?!  Oh no...  _Cloud_."  A very worried Tifa appeared from the kitchen with a rather peeved Cid right behind her.  "No, no, no!  Not _now_, Cloud!"  Eyes widening in terror, Tifa began feeding Cid a long string of apologies, all the while trying to get him to sit down in a chair while Cloud continued to prance around the dining room, oblivious to everything.  After finally escorting Cid to a chair, Tifa yelped and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the flail of Cloud's arms as he spun wildly.

            "_Yeah, you're so damn--_"  Cloud's eyes finally shot open just as soon as he tried to sit down.  "Hey!  Who's in my favorite chai--"  Unfortunately for Cloud, Cid happened to be occupying that favorite chair of his.  The pride that came from being able to navigate himself all the way to that special chair with his eyes close... Well, that sure as hell went straight out the window. 

            The room was dead silent.  And then...

            "OhmigodI'msosorry!"

            "Get the hell off me, ya flippin' pansy!  _Leon_, who the fuck is this clown?!"

            "That would be--"

            "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!  You can't talk to Cloud like that!"

            "The hell're you to tell me what ta do, missy?"

            "Excuse me sir, but please..."

            "Ow!  _Leon__!_  He hit me!"

            "That's _enough_."  Leon closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers against his temples as though trying to ward off the worst headache to ever plague mankind.  "Excuse me, Cid.  Please forgive my _chef_ here for his unruly behavior.  If you would be so kind as to continue your inspection, I shall have a word with him in the back room."  As everyone but Cloud scampered away, Leon shot the blond a deadly glare.  "That means _now_, Cloud."

"Right..."

After leading Cloud to the back of the restaurant to Leon's rather small office, Leon inhaled deeply before letting it all out in a sigh.  It was all he could do to keep from throttling the life out of Cloud right then and there.  But first, there were questions.  There were explanations.  And there sure as hell was going to be a boatload of punishment for the idiot to look forward to.

"Okay, first off... Where were you last night?"  Leon failed to mention just how worried he'd been about Cloud.  There was no sense in getting his stupid spiky yellow head to inflate to a larger size just because of Leon's stupid worrying.  It was best just to leave the questions plain and simple.

"Umm... ...Out?"

"Out where?  _Where did you go all night_??"

"A Tupperware party."

"That is the worst lie I've ever heard."  Though Leon wouldn't really have put it past Cloud to actually _go_ to a Tupperware party, Leon at least had enough sense to know that no Tupperware party lasted long enough to be a sleepover.  "Tell me the truth, dammit, or I'll _fire_ your sorry ass."

"Hey, you never do anything _else_ with my sorry ass.  I'd say a little firing is looking pretty--"

"_Cloud_."

"Okay!  I'll spill."  Cloud paused for a moment, a wicked grin suddenly appearing on his face as he fought to stifle his own laughter.

"You're sick."

"I _know_.  Isn't it fabulous?"

"Cloud."

"Right, right, right.  I'm getting there.  ...But you have to promise you won't be angry."

This was definitely starting to sound bad...

"I already am angry."

"Then promise not to get angrier." 

"Just tell me where you went, already."

"Nooo, you have to promise."

"Fine.  I promise."

"Pinky promise."

"No."

"Jackass."

"Jerk-off."

"...That was cold."

"**CLOUD**.  Where the _hell_ were you last night?!"  Cloud's blue eyes widened and for a split second Leon was wondering if he may have gone too far and just made the blond cry. 

"Well..."  Cloud tore his eyes away from Leon, diverting his glace to the floor.  "I was mad.  So I didn't really feel like going to the apartment or anything.  ...I sorta wandered around until I got to the downtown area and...  I met up with an old... friend.  We talked for a while and when I told him why I was so upset, he said I could spend the night at his place..."  Cloud trailed off and mentally ran through what he'd just said before nodding in affirmation.

"...That's it?"

"Yup."

"...You're lying."

"W-whaddya mean?  I am _not_."

"Cloud, you're hiding something.  And if you don't tell me now, I'll find out later.  And if this something you're hiding would be something that would make me angry, I guarantee you I'll be even more angry then I would have been initially."  Cold, steely eyes bore into Cloud's own, locking him in a staring contest that he didn't really want to be in at all.  "Now.  What is it you're not telling me?"

The dam broke.  Again.

"I slept with Sephiroth!"  The words flew out of Cloud's mouth in what sounded almost like a sob as he buried his face in his hands.  "He was there and he was being so nice and it's not like **you're** ever that nice to me, so when he asked me to come home with him I said yes and I wasn't thinking and that's why the jellybeans... and... and..."

"You did **what**?"

"...Do I really have to say it again?"

"You did **_WHAT_?**"

"Okay, apparently I do...  I slept with Sephiroth."  Cloud was becoming slightly agitated by Leon's anger.  Honestly, it wasn't like Cloud was Leon's property to look after or anything.  If Cloud wanted to sleep with half the damned island, then there was no way Leon was going to stop him!  ...Not that Cloud really _wanted_ to sleep with half the island...

At that moment, Tifa flung open the door to Leon's office, sick and tired of waiting outside the door.  She'd been knocking on the stupid thing for the past five minutes, but all she could hear was shouting, yelling, and just more shouting.  ...Plus, Tifa just had to make sure Leon wasn't killing Cloud or anything. 

"Leon, Cid's--"

"You mean to tell me that you _stormed_ out of here, whining and complaining about how damn _evil_ I am and then you went and started screwing around with some old boyfriend of yours?!"

"Uh, Leon, Cid--"

"Well I don't exactly see why you care so much!  I may live with you and I may work for you and you may do my laundry, _but_ I'm _still_ my own person!  Be_sides_, it's not like you hadn't had the chance or anything."

"Leon, Cloud, you guys--"

"The chance to what?  Have **sex** with you?  Please, if I really _wanted_ that, all I'd have to do is walk within five feet of you and blink."

"That's **it**, I **QUIT**."

"Well you're already _fired_!  Now get **_out_**!!"

"You guys!  Knock it off!"  Tifa scowled at Cloud as he attempted to push past her towards the exit.  "Cid's approved us.  _Barely_.  Thanks to Cloud's little show and Leon's temper, the only way I could convince him that our manager and head chef weren't crazy was by bribing him."

Both Leon and Cloud looked at her in shock.  Cloud, naturally, was the first to speak.

"Tifa!  You don't have to sell yourself just to--"

"Cloud, I game him your stupid jellybeans."

"_What_??  Aww maaan!  You gotta be kidding me!"

Leon grit his teeth, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths in order to keep from screaming at all of them.  Then slowly, very slowly, he said, "What _is_ it about these stupid jellybeans?"

"Oh.  Cloud always eats jellybeans the morning after he gets laid."

Silence. 

"It's a kooky habit I picked up.  Jellybeans help make me less sore.  Plus they're a _great_ source of vitamins and minerals," Cloud quipped. 

"...Right.  Okay."  Leon closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.  He was so tempted to just go to sleep right there...  Several minutes passed by and Leon heard retreating footsteps and the closing of the door.  Good.  He was finally alone.  Opening his eyes, Leon rested his gaze upon the most pathetic sight he'd ever seen.

Cloud was starting at him with those adorable blue eyes, hand outstretched toward Leon, clutching a slightly crumpled daffodil.  Yellow petals peered up at Leon with the same curiosity with which he regarded them.  Afraid that he would make the sad little flower wither more under his intense gaze, he switched his focus up to Cloud instead, who probably deserved to wither under that gaze in the first place.

...But he just looked so damn _cute_.

"I'm sorry, Leon," Cloud said, a slight pout adding to his childish appearance.  "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Leon's eyes narrowed at this.  "Who said I was worried."

"No one.  Nevermind."

"...Whatever."  Leon sighed again, raking his hands through his own soft spikes of chocolate brown hair.  Damn.  It would've been so easy to just hold a grudge against Cloud if only it weren't for the fact that he was just too adorable for his own good sometimes.  "Okay.  You can have your job back.  I re-hire you."

"Yay!  So does this mean I get the spatula?"

"No."

-------

            Yuffie sat cross-legged on her bed, the phone book open in front of her.  It hadn't been that hard to find Kairi's number, seeing as the book wasn't all that huge for the chain of islands.  No, the hard part was picking up the phone and _dialing_ that seven-digit number.  That annoying little number that kept dancing around on the page in front of her, laughing at her mercilessly.

            With a sigh, Yuffie closed the phone book and shoved it off of her bed with her foot, smiling slightly as she heard it meet the ground with a satisfying thunk.  Stupid book.  Stupid numbers.  Stupid and _sweet_ Kairi. 

            After determining that the entire world was just one big mass of _stupidity_, Yuffie turned off her bedside lamp and slipped under the covers.  Tomorrow the restaurant would open.  She would earn tips, which made her happy.  She would see Kairi, which made her happy.  She would once again have the joy of making fun of Cloud (after the whole ordeal that day, Yuffie figured that Cloud would be extra-early and prepared for work for the next few weeks) which also made her happy. 

            And Yuffie would also meet Tidus. 

            She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that yet.

............................................................................

            First and foremost:  _Happy birthday goes to **A Complete 180**, by Uzumaki-sama!!!_

           I know you've all read it and are fans.  If you're not... Well, then I'm just assuming you've been hit by a door as well.

            Not much to say about this chapter.  It turned out really... weird.  But it makes me smile and it's getting somewhere with plot, so it's alright.  Not to mention Sephiroth was brought into play.  Waha.  Let's see where we get with that.

            The song Cloud sang is 'You're So Damn Hot' by OK-Go.  I have dubbed their music as my Leon/Cloud writing music.  _That_ is why I can never really be serious whenever I write those two.  It's the _music_.  Imagine that.

Tomorrow at five, big things are happening for me.  ...Hahaha, remember in the very first A/N of this fic... up at the top of chapter one... I mentioned the watching of _But I'm a Cheerleader_ and all that jazz with certain people?  Hahaha... Yeah.  You can all laugh at me and throw fruit now.  ...It's inspiration for this fic, give me a break!  ...No one is understanding me.  ...I think I need sleep...

--Ori


	7. The Irony of It All

**Raspberry Heaven**

'The Irony of it All'

            "I don't think I'm quite understanding this..." Kairi said, looking skeptically at Yuffie as the older girl typed away at Leon's computer.  Leon had given her the simple task of typing up the restaurant's hours on a piece of paper to hang up in the front window, and as simple as the task had seemed, Yuffie was almost determined to make it difficult for herself.

            "Okay, okay, listen here."  Her keys danced across the keyboard as Yuffie turned to look at Kairi, though her fingers kept moving at their own will.  "If you make the hours for a day like... Oh, let's say... from eleven in the morning to five in the evening, people are going to know that they have to come at eleven.  _But_ what sort of idiot looks at the clock and thinks, 'Gee, that ole' restaurant down at the boardwalk is just opening!  I'll go grab a bite to eat'?  No one!  Exactly!"

            Kairi blinked.  "I'm still not getting it."

            "Hold up, I'm not done.  We need to make the hours more specific so they'll be more noticeable in people's heads.  I mean, tons of things have to go down at eleven in the morning.  We need to have an _original_ opening time!  It needs to be _special_ so that people will remember it!"  Yuffie grinned at Kairi, proud of her little idea even though the whole concept still seemed pretty insignificant to the auburn-haired girl standing in front of her.

            Pulling at one of the pearly white buttons adorning the front of her shirt, Kairi mulled Yuffie's words over for a moment before finally saying, "Open it at 11:11 then.  People won't forget that number unless they're idiots."

            With a triumphant grin, Yuffie punched in the numbers and ordered the computer to print the time sheet, standing up and patting Kairi on the back.  "All right!  I knew you'd think of something Kairi!  So smart, so smart..."

            "Uhh... Thanks?"

            "Not a problem!  Here, go tape this up by the front window.  I'm gonna go change in the bathroom, m'kay?"  Halfway out the door, Yuffie paused and glanced over her shoulder, a wicked smirk on her face as she lowered her voice slightly.  "Oh, and stay clear of Leon and Cloud.  Just a bit of friendly advice for you."  But before Kairi could even ask why, Yuffie was gone.

            Kairi simply sighed and plucked a tape dispenser from the top of Leon's desk.  Those two always seemed to either be the best of friends or the worst of enemies.  Usually it was the latter.  Really, it didn't make much sense to Kairi, but perhaps there was just no explaining it.  If that was the case, she certainly wasn't even going to try.

            The previous night had been spent talking to Tidus on the phone and the lack of sleep was catching up with Kairi as she tried to muffle another yawn with the back of her hand.  While Tidus was amusing and made a wonderful friend, Kairi still couldn't manage to view the blond as her boyfriend.  Not just yet.  And probably not ever.  Every time she talked to him, she couldn't get past the feeling that there was something there that was just _wrong_.  And no matter how hard she tried, nothing specifically 'wrong' could come to mind.  Well... almost.

            True, Tidus probably had no idea that Kairi's affection was not directed at him.

            _True_, Tidus most certainly didn't know that her affection was directed towards a _girl_.

            Sighing, Kairi pushed it all aside.  She'd told Tidus to drop by the restaurant if he had time and to bring the rest of the gang along.  Seeing all of her friends together would certainly cheer her up if nothing else possibly could.  Of course...  Selphie might not be her normal perky self, knowing that Tidus and Kairi were now together...  Sora and Riku wouldn't be much of a help since they were too busy trying to monitor their own actions and ensuring that no one knew--

            Leon hurriedly walked into the front of the restaurant, the expression on his face clearly stating that he was searching for someone.  And even though Kairi had only known him for a few days, she was willing to bet that that someone was...

            "Cloud's not here yet, is he?"

            No sooner had Kairi opened her mouth to respond did the Cloud in question burst into the restaurant, looking like he'd just been caught in the rain and had decided to grace the room with his sunshine in order to further better the lives of all.  Too bad for Cloud it was already sunny outside and the only storm he might be facing was the wrath of Leon.

            "Here, here, I'm here!  And I--"  Cloud was cut off by a sigh from Leon.

            "I needed you to pick something up from the apartment.  I tried your cell, but it wasn't on..."

            "Sorry, Sunshine, I just got out of the shower and forgot to turn the little sucker on."  Ignoring the evil glare Leon gave him for using such a stupid nickname, Cloud turned to Kairi with a radiant smile plastered on his face.  "Kairi!  Look!  You're the first person to see my _baby_!"

            "Your... baby?"  Kairi's bafflement quickly ended when she followed Cloud's eagerly pointing finger out through the window where she'd taped the sign, her eyes coming to rest on a sparkling new BMW, its glossy white surface defying all laws of 'white never stays white for long' as it sat in the small parking lot of the restaurant.

            Leon, who had also looked at the car, simply rolled his eyes, not sharing the same excitement that the other two now had.  It was a stupid car, but Cloud had been so damn happy to get it...

            _"__Leon__!  This one!  Look!  It's peeeeerfect."  _

_            "...If you crash it, you'll die.  That thing has no protection."_

_            "Who needs protection?  This baby is gorgeous."_

_            "...Stop giggling.  Just buy the damn car and let's get out of here."_

And that had been that.  Cloud had insisted that Leon drive him across the island to a car dealer, telling him that they would both need separate cars in order to be 'more efficient' for work.  Leon still had yet to figure out how stupid little cars tied into cooking and simply _doing one's job_, but it had kept the obnoxious blond roommate out of his hair for a while.

            "I left the opening sign at home by the door.  I had been _hoping_ you'd see it on the way out, but obviously not."  With a deep sigh, Leon raked his slender fingers through choppy brown locks, a frown coming to rest on his features.  "I'll just--"

            "I'll go pick it up!" Cloud chirped, obviously eager to get behind the wheel of his 'baby' once again.  Leon thought about it a moment and shook his head slightly with another small sigh.

            "It's not a big deal.  We can just as easily make a banner here before the place opens up.  Besides, the less you drive around in that tin can, the less likely it is that I'll have to pay for a funeral in the near future."

            "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

            It was at that moment that something just happened to dawn on Kairi.  It wasn't the sort of thing which suddenly sprung into your head and flipped on a light with all the energy of a jacked up monkey...  The realization was more of a _very_ slow lighting of a candle that Kairi didn't realize may very well start a forest fire.

            "Hey, Leon, does the restaurant have a name?"

            Dead silence.

            "**Holy--**"

            And just as all hell was certain to break loose, a loud slam was heard from the back of the room, and all three heads turn at once to see just what had happened.  What they found was a very pleased-looking Yuffie standing next to what had once been the door to the kitchen.  If things couldn't have gotten any worse before, well... they just had.

            "Yuffie.  That was a **door** you just took down," Leon stated simply, obviously trying very hard not to just throw up his hands and storm out of the building all together.

            "Yeah, I know.  I figured it was a health hazard, ya know."  With a grin, Yuffie bent down and began to haul the sad little door through the kitchen, her voice rising to carry across the distance.  "Besides, I bought some _wicked_ door-bead-things that'll look great instead of _this_ ugly old thing!"

            Cloud and Kairi were silent as they nervously glanced at Leon who was visibly beginning to tremble with rage.  It certainly hadn't been _Yuffie's_ fault that the restaurant never got a name, but it _had_ been her fault that there was no longer a kitchen door...  And Leon, being who he was, was bound to blame both of these on Yuffie and probably fire the poor girl.

            "Hey wait a minute, Yuffie, what do the beads you got look like?" Kairi called out.  There was an idea here...  Maybe it would work. 

            Poking her head out of the kitchen, Yuffie snickered.  "Wall Market had a special on 'em.  They're these cute little silver snowflakes!"  Leon paled and looked as though he was just ready to fall over.  As expected, Cloud was already holding out his hands to catch his dear Leon.

            "No, that's perfect!"  With a grin, Kairi turned to face Leon, bouncing from foot to foot with her growing excitement.  "This is a tropical island, so an artic restaurant would be so _cool_!"  Yuffie couldn't help but laugh at the pun, even as Kairi continued.  "We can decorate it with all sorts of snow-themed things and Cloud can think of some neat dishes that can be served cold, right?"  Cloud cocked his head to the side, pondering this a moment before nodding energetically.

            "Hey, I think that's an awesome idea!"

            "Good thinking, Kairi."

            Yuffie blinked at Tifa and Aerith.  "Where'd you guys come from?" 

            "We heard the bang and figured that Leon had finally got fed up with you and Cloud and just gone a bit too far.  Better that we get here before the cops, right?" Tifa replied with a grin as her and Aerith strode into the restaurant.  "Anyway, I think it's perfect."

            Leon frowned slightly at Cloud, who really had no reason to be frowned upon at that moment.  He was just the nearest target for Leon's slowly subsiding wrath.  "It still doesn't give us a name for the restaurant."  Cloud scowled back, crossing his arms. 

            _Sheesh, you'd think __Leon__ actually **enjoys** being grumpy or something..._ 

            "The Iceberg?"

            "Snow-blowing."  Cloud smirked and winked suggestively at Leon. 

            "Snow Bunny!"

            "Glacial... Umm..."

            "Blizzard...?"               

            "Polar Eclipse," Yuffie muttered.  Leon glanced up at her, narrowing his eyes.

            "That doesn't even make sense."

            "So?"  Casually resting her hands behind her head, Yuffie looked up at the ceiling, letting out a wide yawn.  Smiling back at Kairi, she said, "Doesn't have to make sense, you know.  Having a snowy restaurant in a tropical climate sure doesn't make sense.  Besides, I like how it sounds.  Leon's Polar Eclipse."

            Everyone turned to Leon, waiting expectantly for his consent. 

            "...Sure.  Whatever.  Just quit slacking off.  We open in one hour--"

            "And eleven minutes!" chirped Yuffie.

            No one noticed that the lovely wooden sign hanging above the restaurant had once been a door.  It was rather hard to notice in the first place, since it had been covered with blue and yellow paint, compliments of Yuffie's Late Painting Experiment.  By the time 11:00 had rolled around, chains of snowflakes had been cut and hung around the walls of the restaurant and Tifa and Aerith had made another trip to Wall Market to buy ridiculous amounts of snow-related things.

            So Leon really shouldn't have been surprised when he stepped out of his office to find the front of the restaurant completely transformed, his entire staff standing before him grinning from ear to ear.

            Light blue tablecloths neatly covered each and every one of the round tables scattered around the large room, an assortment of silver snowflake-shaped candles centered at each table along with miniature stuffed polar bears (in various shades of pastel colors, of course.)  Framed pictures were mounted on the walls, containing everything from cartoon penguins to beautiful photos of artic landscapes that the island dwellers had probably never seen before.

            "Well this is..."  Leon's voice trailed off as he continued to take it all in.  'Nice' wasn't the word he was looking for, but it was the only word he could think of.  Honestly, he thought that for an hour's worth of work, the place looked nothing short of amazing. 

            "Okay, everyone, we've only got a couple minutes until we open up!  Cloud, you got the menus ready?"  Yuffie beamed as Cloud handed her a stack of menus, freshly printed out from the computer.  "...More importantly, do you and Tifa know how to make all these things?" 

            "Nah.  We'll make it up as we go along.  Right, Cloud?" Tifa said, elbowing her friend with a chuckle.

            "Hell yeah, we're that skilled."  Cloud turned to head towards the kitchen, following behind Tifa.  "And you know, since we're so _skilled_ and all, we sure could use some new spatul--"

            "Cloud?"

            "What?"

            Aerith blinked and held up the menu, pointing towards one particular item on it with a look of obvious confusion adorning her face.  "You named one of our smoothies 'Mako Poisoning?'" 

            Yuffie made a face at the name and turned towards Cloud as well, looking just as confused.  "What the hell is that??"

            "It's called an Artistic License.  I have one."  With that, Cloud disappeared through the beaded curtain of plastic snowflakes, heading into the kitchen and leaving the rest of the restaurant in still-puzzled silence.

            "He does?"

            "Apparently so."  Yuffie shrugged and handed a stack of menus to Kairi.  "Well, whatever works, right?  Let's pass out these menus and get ready to take some orders!"

-------

            "...I can't believe no one's here yet..." Kairi mumbled, her head cradled in her folded arms.  It had been and hour and a half since they opened and not a single person had set foot in the restaurant.  Really, the whole thing was quite depressing, to say the least.

            Patting the younger girl comfortingly on the shoulder, Aerith gave Kairi a warm smile.  "Hey, it's our first day.  Don't worry about it, people will show up."

            Opening one eye, Yuffie studied the two from her place across the room where she had spent the past hour numbing her brain with loud music on her handy mp3 player.  She then found herself scowling slightly at Aerith, though as soon as Yuffie realized what she was doing, she quickly shook her head and snapped out of it.  _Huh.  That was weird.  Usually her constantly optimistic attitude doesn't bother me...  Whatever._

"And even if no one comes, there's always _tomorrow_," Yuffie said, providing her own two cents worth.  Kairi didn't seem to hear her though, which only caused Yuffie to feel strangely depressed as she popped her headphones back on.  However, Yuffie's momentary sour mood was soon erased as the jingle of the bells attached to the front door rung merrily out into the silence of the restaurant, bringing with it a chorus of voices all shouting roughly the same thing.

            "Hiya Kairi!" Selphie exclaimed, bouncing into the restaurant.  "Eee!  Omigosh, look at this place!  It's so aaaawesome!" 

            "Hey, Kairi!"  Tidus followed closely behind Selphie, a small smile on his face.  Wakka entered behind him, blitzball tucked under one arm and his free hand waved in a greeting.  And of course, following this small parade of characters were the two people Kairi had wanted to see for quite some time.  Riku and Sora strolled in, hands tucked in their pockets and laughing about something or other before they both looked up in unison.

            "Kairi!" Sora grinned and waved, causing Riku to roll his eyes at the brunette before ushering the crowd to a table.

            Tugging her headphones off, Yuffie shot Kairi a radiant smile, hopping out of her chair and bounding over to the younger girl as she stood up from her own seat as well.  Yuffie ruffled Kairi's hair affectionately and laughed, saying, "All right, Kairi, way to go!  You hooked our first customers and dragged them in here with your telekinesis powers!"  Despite the confused looks she gained, Yuffie continued to laugh happily even as Kairi hurriedly went over to the table where her friends had gathered, trying to get rid of the blush now spreading across her face.

            "Hey guys!  Thanks for coming!"  Whipping out her pad of paper and pen, Kairi was quite happy to be the first one to take orders in Leon's Polar Eclipse.  The name still sounded a bit silly, but she supposed she'd get used to it eventually.  "So what can I get you--"

            "Wait a second, Kairi!"  Yuffie suddenly appeared beside her, waving her arms frantically.  "You haven't even introduced us to our first customers!"  
            "Huh?"

            "Ahem."  Yuffie cleared her throat and placed her hands on her hips, raising herself up to her full height, which still wasn't very tall.  "'It's important for restaurant workers to establish strong connections with their customers in order to further improve the business relationship between the two.'"

            Kairi blinked.  "Who said _that_?"

            "Leon.  Now who are these people?  I wanna meet 'em!"

            "Well..." Kairi started.

            "I'm Selphie!"  Ever the energetic ball of yellow she was, Selphie happily waved at Yuffie, a perky smile adorning her naturally cute face.  So much cuteness...  It was all Yuffie could do to keep from squealing and pouncing on the kid.  She deserved to be made into a stuffed animal, definitely.

            "I'm Sora, and..."

            "Riku."  Riku nodded towards Yuffie as a hello.

            "Wakka.  Pleased to meet ya."  Wakka shot her a toothy grin, expertly spinning his trusty blitzball on the tip of his index finger.  _Huh.  Showoff.  I hope he's not hitting on me._

            Tidus looked up from the menu then and smiled at Yuffie.  "Hey, I'm Tidus."  His eyes widened as Yuffie laughed triumphantly, pointing a finger accusingly at him.

            "Aha!  So **you're** Tidus!  The _boyfriend_!"  Instantly, Kairi turned several shades pinker and Tidus looked sullenly towards the floor.  Selphie couldn't help but wince slightly, though thankfully no one seemed to take notice of it.  No one, that is, except Kairi, who instantly felt like she was drowning in guilt.

            "Yep, that's me..."

            As Yuffie exchanged a few more chipper words with the teens assembled at the table (all of which were laughing and joking right along with her), Aerith watched the group steadily.  It was weird, how Tidus and Kairi had reacted to Yuffie's call on their relationship.  But maybe they were both naturally shy?  She shrugged it off, though something still seemed out of place about the whole thing.  Aerith would mention it to Yuffie later and see if the other girl had picked up on anything.

            Once Kairi had gotten her friends' order, she headed back to the kitchen where Tifa and Cloud were lazily engaged in some card game or another.  Both of them looked up at the triumphant grin plastered on Kairi's face as she ripped off the top page of her notepad and handed it to Tifa.

            "Okay, Cloud, you ready?"

            "Hehehe..."  Swiping his cooking apron from the wall, Cloud swiftly tied it around his waist, striking a pose with his hands on his hips.  "Here's for the Cinderella story!"

-------

            "Um... Kairi, can I talk to you for a second?" 

            Kairi frowned slightly, wondering what on earth could be wrong now.  She'd taken ten minutes off to sit with her friends before the left the restaurant, which was slowly but surely filling up with more customers.  It hadn't gotten to the point where Aerith and Yuffie couldn't handle it, but it was certainly getting there.  Nonetheless, Kairi willingly followed Tidus out to the front of the restaurant, ignoring the suggestive whistle Wakka threw their way.

            Once they were safely outside, Tidus let out a deep sigh and hung his head, rubbing the back of his neck.  "Sorry about that," he mumbled half-heartedly.

            "No problem.  It's not like you can control Wakka's manners, Tidus."  Silence followed for a moment, and just as Kairi was about to get slightly irritated and ask why she was dragged outside, Tidus finally spoke once again.

            "Listen, Kairi... I..."

            "We need to talk, I know," Kairi said, trying not to show how seriously confused she was.

            "Yeah..."  Tidus looked up at Kairi before quickly looking back down at the ground.  "Okay.  I'm just going to say it all and... and... I'm really sorry.  This whole thing is my fault and I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything because I really do like you a lot, but it's more of a different kind of like because--"

            "Whoa, whoa, wait a second, Tidus!"  Now Kairi was struggling to keep the _excitement _out of her voice, which was even harder than the confusion bit.  She did feel sort of... well, _bad_ for being so happy that Tidus was saying this.  But it was by far the best thing for both of them.

            "Sorry...  Kairi, I don't...  I never really wanted to be your boyfriend."  Tidus' words lacked the usual luster that radiated from the blond, instead coming out as sad and sober.  "It was all... this _plan_ that Wakka had."

            "Wakka??"  Okay, the confusion was back and quite obvious.

            "Yeah...  He said..."  Tidus let out a deep sigh, scuffing one of his flip-flop-clad feet against the ground.  "He said that it would be perfect if we got girlfriends who were, well, already good friends.  Because we didn't want girlfriends who hated each other or... I dunno, but what he said made sense and all.  So he said that I should ask you out and...  And he would ask Selphie out."

            At this, Kairi nearly gagged.  It wasn't that Wakka was a bad person or anything, though this whole 'idea' of his was pretty damn stupid.  It was that Selphie was completely loopy about Tidus and barely had any sort of feeling of friendship towards Wakka, who she was constantly claiming to be 'immature and hopeless in the world of romance.'  How very, very ironic.

            But Tidus apparently wasn't finished.

            "See...  I didn't want to go out with you, Kairi... I mean, no offense, you're great and everything but...  I like _Selph--_"

            "She likes you too!" Kairi blurted out before she could stop herself.  Well, Selphie was going to kill her.  Just great.

            "She wha?"

            "Tidus, she's flipping _crazy_ about you!" Kairi exclaimed.  "Wow, this is _great_!"

            "...You know, you don't _have_ to be so happy I'm breaking up with you, Kairi..." Tidus muttered, pouting slightly.  Kairi simply laughed and patted her friend on the back, though she was so happy about it all that what she had intended to be a friendly pat nearly sent Tidus sprawling across the boardwalk.

            "Are you _kidding_?  This is the best thing that's happened to me all day!"

            "Really, Kairi, you're not making me feel that much better...  Was I that bad of a boyfriend?"

            "No!  Haha, it's not _you_, it's _me_!  Go on and ask Selphie out, Tidus!  You can't let Wakka run your life for you.  You have to do what your heart tells you!"  _Sheesh, I've been reading one too many of Selphie's corny romance novels.  That was probably the cheesiest thing I've **ever** said.  Yuck._

But the cheesy advice Kairi had to offer was apparently all Tidus needed to hear, because his upbeat attitude came shooting back into him, leaving the blond blitzball player looking better than ever.  Confidence was the once thing Tidus had to have in order to survive, it seemed.  And as long as something wasn't stopping up his supply of it, all was well in the world of Tidus.

            "Really?  You think so?"  There was that brilliant grin, assuring the world that Tidus was perfectly fine.  "Thanks, Kairi!  Heh, I'm glad you're not upset or anything."  With a delighted laugh, Tidus embraced the girl in front of him in a near bone-crushing hug before spinning on his heel to run back into the restaurant, though he paused just as soon as the got the door open as though something had just occurred to him.

            "You like someone else then?" he asked, blue eyes curious but innocent.

            "...Yeah.  I guess I do."

            Grinning again, Tidus gave her a thumbs up.  "Hey, good luck with whoever it is, Kairi.  You know, 'do what your heart tells you' and all that jazz.  Thanks again!"  And with that, Tidus vanished into the restaurant once again, much happier than he been the last time he'd walked through that doorway.  Kairi however, entered the building in a much more confused state than she'd ever been in before. 

            Part of her had seriously wanted to tell Tidus everything just a few moments ago, but...  Kairi shook her head.  No, it might not be the best idea.  Not just then.  Tidus was fine with Riku and Sora's private relationship that only their close friends and family knew of, but...  Kairi just didn't _want_ to tell him.  Not just yet.  Maybe not ever.

-------  
            That evening, Yuffie happily volunteered to walk Kairi home, much more cheerful and energetic than she had been all day.  It almost made Kairi laugh how everyone seemed so much happier now that her and Tidus were no longer together... well, with the exception of Wakka.  But he would get over it.  The redhead had an ego the size of a small planet and would no doubt be stuck on some other female within a week.

            So as the streetlamps flickered on in Kairi's neighborhood, she and Yuffie walked side by side, each of them enjoying the peaceful silence that the island held at night.  The ocean brought in a refreshing breeze, and even as far inland as Kairi's house was, the sweet but salty smell of the ocean hung lazily in the air.  It was nice, she realized, just to walk side by side with someone.  There didn't have to be words, though there were definitely words to be said.  The words could wait, couldn't they?

            "Hey, Kairi?"  Okay, maybe some words couldn't wait then?

            "Mm?"

            With a smirk, Yuffie glanced down at her slightly shorter companion.  "You never liked Tidus, did you?"

            Eyes widening slightly, Kairi chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.  Shit, she _hadn't_ been expecting _that_.  After a moment, Kairi swallowed and uttered a response as best she could.  "N-no... Not really."

            "Hah.  I _knew _it."

            "What??  Y-you did??"  Alarm.  Tons and tons of alarm. 

            Yuffie smiled sweetly, tucking her hands in her pockets and looking up at the star-speckled sky.  "Mmhm.  It was sort of obvious, you know.  When you finally get to go out with someone you really care about like that, you act really differently.  When _you_ first went out with Tidus, you just seemed really... unsure about the whole thing.  Kind of put-off, right?"  Yuffie glanced down at Kairi and snickered at the awestruck expression on her face.  "Don't worry.  You'll know when you find someone _really _worth your while."

            The girls reached Kairi's house at the point and said their goodbyes, Yuffie turning to head back towards the main street of the island and Kairi turning to walk up the front steps towards her front door.  And yet both of their thoughts fell somewhere along the same lines.

            _Huh.  That's ironic, isn't it?_

.........................................................................

            Blah.   ==  I promise the next chapter will be better... Really I do...

Ori


	8. The Swimmer

**Raspberry Heaven**

'The Swimmer'

            Sunday morning broke on Destiny Islands with the promise of rain later on, thick gray clouds hanging drearily in the sky.  All in all, the islanders mostly remained inside all day, not daring enough to brave the possibly-rainy weather headed their way.  This meant that in its second week of business, Leon's Polar Eclipse found itself empty.  Empty... except for its employees.  Yes, the Polar Eclipse had fine workers, no doubt willing to brave the worst hurricane of the season in order to get to work and feed the hungry souls of the islands.

            "Man, this sucks," Yuffie whined.  "No one's gonna be here..."  Her voice trailed off into a muffled complaint as she folded her arms around her head, resting on the table in front of her.  Kairi shot her friend a small and sympathetic smile, though she personally didn't have a problem with the quiet day at the restaurant.  No one else seemed to either... well, besides Yuffie.

            And perhaps Leon.

            "So anyways Leon, I was thinking that such a cold and miserable day calls for a nice warm fire.  Whaddya say?  We can break out some wine and lounge in front of the fireplace, and if it's still too cold for you, I can warm you up a--"

            Leon simply glared icily at him, folding his arms across his chest.  "You're terrible at pickup lines."

            Cloud sulked for a moment before tossing the brunette a wicked smirk.  "I've got worse.  You wanna hear 'em?"

            "Cloud, I thought you were still hooked up with that Sephiroth guy?" Yuffie piped up.  Cloud's love life (or rather, the lack thereof) was apparently enough to pull her out of her Sunday morning slump.  Any chance to pick on the blond was usually enough to do that.

            "Of course not!  That was **_so_** a one-time deal."

            "Oh really?  Then why do you keep going to--"

            At that, Cloud sprung on poor Leon, wrapping his arms protectively around the taller man's shoulders despite Leon's feeble attempts at freedom.  "Leon knows my heart belongs ooonly to him.  Isn't that right, Leon?"

            "Get....off....me...."

            The girls in the room giggled at Cloud's antics, though they only managed to last for so long before Leon really did break free from Cloud's death-hold and proceeded to whack the blond rather sharply on the back of the head.  However, doing that only caused Leon to choke back a yelp and cradle his hand against his chest, frowning at Cloud as he scooted uneasily away from the loveable leech.

            "What happened?!"

            "...Your hair... _stabbed_ me."

            "...Hey, I don't use gel."

            Tifa cocked her head to the side, studying Cloud carefully from across the room.  "Maybe it's like... some sort of defense mechanism."  Aerith nodded her head sagely in agreement as Kairi and Yuffie continued to watch the scene unfold with amusement scrawled all over their faces.

            "Hey, I'm not a _robot_."

            "You're right.  Some scientist would have to be a total crackpot to make a robot that can only think about sex."

            "HEY!!!"

            "I'm sure they've already made _those_, Tifa."

            "Aerith?!  You're not supposed to side with her!"

            "Don't listen to the sexbot, Aerith."

            "...I hate you."

            Glancing at her watch, Yuffie turned to Kairi with a grin and said, "Hey, work's gonna be done in two hours.  Wanna do something afterwards?"

            Though Kairi opened her mouth to respond, nothing intelligent (like, for example, _words_) came out.  Shaking her head the auburn haired girl gave a small cough and smiled innocently at Yuffie as though nothing were the slightest bit wrong.  "Erm...  Eh.... L-li-like what?"

            Yuffie either didn't pick up the sudden blush, stutter, and cough, or she just didn't pay any mind to them.  "Ohhh, I dunno...  We could... **I** don't know!  Come on, you've lived here longer than any of us.  What do you guys do for fun around here?"

            "Well..." Kairi thought long and hard, trying to select activities that wouldn't bore Yuffie out of her mind.  Although Kairi was content spending hour after hour out on the old paopu island just thinking or talking with someone... well, she had a feeling that Yuffie just wouldn't fly for that.  "Sometimes we go swimming.  There's a roller skating rink not far from here...  There's the mall, the ice cream parlor, the secre-- err...  Um.  Well, there's the old island where a bunch of us used to play when we were kids."

            The last item on Kairi's list obviously sparked Yuffie's interest, because she leaned forward towards the smaller girl, excitement twinkling in her brown eyes.  Nearly yelping and falling off of her chair due to the suddenly closed distance between the two of them, Kairi simply settled for clutching the seat of her chair until her knuckles practically glowed white.  _Definitely need to remember to get these stupid hormones in check.  Or whatever.  Perhaps I need to take a sedative if I know I'm going to be around Yuffie for any extended period of time._

"Aww!  You guys had an entire _island_ to play on when you were kids??  Man, I would've killed for that.  What'd you guys do over there?  Sheesh, a whole friggin' island..."

            Surprised that someone would take such an interest in her childhood like that Kairi laughed nervously before hesitantly launching into a brief and hopefully-not-too-boring summary of the little play island she still clearly remembered.  Of course, it helped that some of them still returned to the island every once in a while, but most of Kairi and her friends had long since given up the quaint play island for the bustle of the larger main island.

            "I used to play with Riku and Sora a lot...  Uh, sometimes Selphie and I collected seashells and made necklaces and stuff out of them.  There was a zip-wire, too, and a treehouse...  We made a raft once, but we were just kids, so it didn't really turn out too well.  A storm wrecked it anyway and I guess we just never got around to rebuilding it.  There's the paopu island..."

            "Paopu?"

            _Please, someone label me an idiot..._  Kairi's eyes flicked nervously around the room, refusing to come to rest on the girl in front of her who simply had no idea what a paopu fruit was.  In was an innocent question, of course.  _Don't be stupid, Kairi.  Sheesh.  Paranoid freak.  _"A... uh... paopu fruit.  It's a... er.... a, a, a, it's a... star-shaped fruit and... you know... there's this really stupid legend about it.  I-I don't believe it or anything!  But if two people... if they share a paopu fruit then... eh... um... theirdestiniesbecomeintertwinedforeverorsomethinglikethat.  Yeah."

            Kairi had no idea how anything could possibly have made sense out of that jumble of words that just flew out of her mouth.  Right away, she could tell that almost everyone in the room was very baffled, to say the least.  Everyone except Yuffie, master of speed-talking and... apparently equipped with a very good pair of ears. 

            "It intertwines their destinies?"  Yuffie's eyes widened, filling with childish glee at such an idea.  The rest of the room's occupants nodded slowly, now understanding what Kairi had been babbling on about.  Well that was just great.  "Are you serious??  That's so sweet!  I wish I could try one..."  As though the thought had suddenly leapt into Yuffie's head full-force, she jolted backwards, studying Kairi with an alarmed expression.  "Have you ever tried it?!"

            "Ah!  Uh, no!  No, no, no!  Hehehe, not me!  Haha, nooo.  Never!"  Kairi was certainly aware that she was sounding like a spastic poodle jacked up on **something**, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.  However, Yuffie seemed very satisfied with her answer and smiled, seeming to ease up slightly in her chair.

            "Good.  Little kids shouldn't be messing around with destinies and stuff like that."  Rethinking her words, Yuffie immediately corrected herself.  "Not that you're a little kid or anything!  Just that back then you were, right?  I mean, you only wanna be tied to someone's _destiny_ if you're way serious about 'em, right?  Or if you never want to lose your friendship with them?"

            Suddenly, Kairi was struck with a small tidal wave of things she could say to that.  She was almost one hundred percent certain that Riku and Sora had shared a paopu fruit.  There was practically no way that they **hadn't** by that point.  Yes, intertwining destinies and whatnot was a very romantic idea, but just as Yuffie had pointed out, there was an element of eternal friendship in there too.  _I know I shouldn't be thinking it, but I wonder why I never got to share a paopu with Riku and Sora..._  Though she knew the boys would always hold that special sort of love for one another, what about friendship? 

            Hell, what about Kairi?? 

            _Wow, I'm selfish..._

            "Kairi, you okay?"  Yuffie looked at Kairi with concern, hoping she hadn't said something offensive or stupid. 

            "Huh?  Oh yeah, I'm fine.  Sorry just... trailed off for a minute there."

            "No problem.  So can we go there after work?  Pleeease?"  How on earth could Kairi possibly back down from the pleading look Yuffie was giving her?

            "Sure..."

            "Yes!"

            Leon spoke up from across the room where he still stood a safe distance away from Cloud who was _still_ rather peeved by the whole 'Let's all gang up and make fun of Cloud' business that the day had brought.  "You know, if you two really want to, you can leave early.  We certainly won't get much more that a handful of customers to day, if even that."

            No sooner had the words left his mouth did Yuffie fly out of her chair, untying her apron and zipping off towards the back of the restaurant in a flash, disappearing momentarily behind the beaded curtain of snowflakes only to appear a moment later and snatch Kairi's apron from the surprised girl herself, lunging once again into the back room to hand the apron up.  The whole ordeal probably took less than five seconds tops, and as Yuffie ushered the more-than-just-slightly-confused Kairi out the door, she threw a cheerful goodbye over her shoulder in a bundle of words.

            "Thanks Leeeon!  Byeeee!  Haha, suckers!"

            The restaurant sat in silence until all of its workers were certain that Yuffie and Kairi were well on their way towards the docks.  Finally, Tifa tucked her hands into the pocket of her apron, spinning around to face the other with a triumphant smirk on her face.

            "I told you there's something going on between those two."

            "Personally, I think it's very sweet.  But... isn't Yuffie a bit old for Kairi?" Aerith asked timidly.  She didn't want to burst anyone's bubble, but the last thing she wanted to see was for both Kairi and Yuffie to end up getting hurt.  Of course, that was assuming that anything ever happened between the two aside from friendship.

            Leon nodded slowly, a grim expression settling over his features.  "It would be like a freshman in high school dating a senior."

            Cloud scowled at both Leon and Aerith (though his scowl instantly softened when focusing on the girl, for it was quite a challenge for anyone to scowl at her with much intensity) before putting in his two cents with pride.  "**Or** it could be like a twenty year old going out with a twenty-three year old.  And there's nothing wrong with that."

            Tifa proceeded to agree with Cloud, and before any of them knew it, the restaurant had turned into a debate hall, the issue at hand being the possible relationship that could grow between two of their coworkers and friends. 

            "But Kairi's just a junior.  Yuffie's already gone to... well, dropped out of college.  It would be hard for them to keep anything going."

            "Especially when school started back up for Kairi."

            "Hey, there's no way some silly little three-year age difference is gonna interfere with true love."

            "Exactly!  Besides.  Tifa's parents are fifty and fifty-three.  You're like... denying her legitimate...ness... as a child!"

            "...What?  They never said that, Cloud!  That doesn't even make sense!"

            "But you _are_ saying that Kairi and Yuffie can't have children, right?"

            "Kairi's **sixteen**, Cloud!"

            "...Besides, it's not physically possible."

            "Actually, there are ways..."

            "I really don't need to be hearing this."

            "Heh, Tifa's an illegitimate child."

            "**Cloud**!  Knock it off!"

-------

            If Yuffie had assumed that the play island Kairi had talked about would be perfect and seemingly untouched by the adult population of the island... She was definitely right. 

            Kairi had dragged out her old boat that she used whenever she still went back to the island, and though the small craft was probably only intended to hold one person, both her and Yuffie had somehow managed to fit.  Of course, it had resulted in rather close quarters and Kairi was relieved to finally get off the little boat and hop onto the small deck of the island.

            "Wow!  Would you look at this place?!"  Yuffie laughed with delight, pulling off her shoes and socks.  And rather than clambering up onto the dock, she simply jumped out of the boat, splashing into the crystal clear waters surrounding the island.  Peering down at the older girl, Kairi couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Yuffie splashing around like some ten year old, basking in the glory of the pristine island and its surroundings.

            "So you're telling me you spent your entire childhood playing around here?" Yuffie asked, staring at her feet through the water and wiggling her toes.  A small silver fish streaked past her in the water, causing her grin to widen even more.  Kairi sat down on the edge of the old dock, following Yuffie's example and removing her black shoes and socks.  Both of them were still dressed in their black and white clothes from work and Kairi had a feeling that the sand and splashed salt water wouldn't really do the clothes any good.  _Oh well, screw the clothes.  _

"Pretty much.  I mean, I guess none of the places back at home were really all that interesting to us, so we got out parents to help us set this whole place up.  I guess we stopped coming here all the time just a couple years ago, when the mall and everything else started to look like more fun."

            "So is it?"

            Kairi's eyebrows drew together slightly as she blinked at Yuffie.  "Huh?"

            Yuffie leisurely place her hands behind her head, wading in circles in the shallow waters of the beach, the small wake she left behind causing Kairi's little boat to bob slightly in the water, though not disturbing much else.  "You know...  Is it really more fun?  Malls and ice cream parlors are great and everything, but..."  Yuffie shrugged.  "I dunno.  Maybe it's just me?"

            But Kairi smiled again and shook her head, her feet swinging lazily back and forth over the edge of the dock as she thought for a moment before finally giving her simple response.  "I guess I thought it would be, but I miss this place a lot.  We spent a lot of time here... before we decided it was time for us to grow up"

            "Growing up is for losers!  Come on, Kairi, you love this place, don't you?"

            Kairi laughed lightly, pulling knees up towards her chin.  "Yeah.  I really do."

            "Well alright then!"  Yuffie ran around to the other side of the dock, ocean water spraying out around her in little silver fireworks.  "Operation Relive Kairi's Childhood shall commence!  What's one thing you remember most?"

            "I used to watch Sora and Riku spar a lot, but..."

            "Watching, watching... You never tried it yourself?"  Yuffie placed her hands on her hips and frowned at the younger girl, nearly causing Kairi to wince at the sudden action.

            "Well... no... not really.  I mean, I don't know how to--"

            "Haha, me either!  But we can learn!"

            Kairi laughed and stood up from the dock.  She couldn't help but feel happy in Yuffie's presence because Yuffie herself was always just so... well, she was just _happy_.  Alright, so even Kairi knew that no one could be happy twenty four hours a day, but Yuffie sure seemed to do a pretty good job of it anyway. 

            "I don't know if their swords are here anymore, though..."

            "You don't know 'til you look!  Come on!  Let's go, let's go!"  And seeing as all good moods are usually infectious, Kairi allowed herself to forget the small fog that had been hovering in the back of her mind, constantly bringing up paopu fruits and questionable friendships.  Here she was, able to spend an entire afternoon with Yuffie and she just couldn't allow herself to waste it feeling sorry for herself. 

            Though they had originally set out to go hunt down Sora and Riku's old wooden swords, both Kairi and Yuffie were easily sidetracked and spent the next two hours running along the beach, the spotlight of the sun seeming to make them ten years younger.  Sandcastles were attempted, but washed away by the incoming waters (despite the pathetic dam Yuffie tried to set up, which only resulted in a mushy mound of wet sand).  There were water fights in the ocean and in the small clear pool, fed by a waterfall that ran down a gaggle of rocks and plants.

            Swords were long forgotten and hours passed by in minutes, leaving the two girls to finally come to rest at the old paopu island just as the sun began to noticeably race towards the western horizon.  Sand clung to their feet as Yuffie and Kairi plopped onto the ground, their black pants rolled up to their knees but nonetheless filthy and sand-covered.  Well, that was just what happened when you lived on Destiny Islands. 

            "Hey, Kairi?" Yuffie asked as she flopped down entirely on the sandy ground, her gaze now completely directed at the gradually darkening sky.  "Are you the only one who ever comes back?"

            "Here you mean?"  Kairi once again pulled her legs up towards her chest before wrapping her arms securely around them and resting her chin on her knees.  The island could get cold when the sun went down.  "I don't think so.  Riku and Sora... I'm sure they've been back a lot.  This place mattered more to them than anyone else, probably."

            "Hey, it seems to mean a lot to you.  It'd mean a helluva lot to me too, if I'd spent my entire childhood playing around here.  Anything beats a cruddy old city."  Yuffie paused, thinking about her next words before she said them.  The question had been on her mind for several days though and it might not hurt to ask.  "But those friends of yours... You know, Riku and Sora?"  A smile spread easily across Yuffie's face.  "They more than just friends?"

            Kairi's eyes widened as her mind jolted into alertness, trying to fabricate some sort of excuse, some sort of... _anything_.  She knew as well as any of the boys' other close friends that they really wanted to keep their relationship somewhat hidden.  Their parents knew, their friends knew, but the rest of island had no need to know about what went on between Riku and Sora.  ...And still...  Yuffie seemed like she would be supportive.  And...  Well hell, she already looked like she knew the answer anyway. 

            "Well..."

            "Hey, it's okay if they don't want it slipping out."  Yuffie sat up now, her focus no longer on the sky above her but rather on the girl beside her.  "I may be a total loudmouth and everything, but I'm not gonna go blabbing it everywhere.  It's obvious to the trained eye anyway!"  She chuckled lightheartedly as she saw the shocked expression on Kairi's face.

            "But...  But they hide it!  They don't hold hands in public or anything!  How did you know?"

            "I told you.  Trained eye."  The wink Yuffie gave Kairi almost sent the younger girl into hysterics.  _Holy crap!!!  If Yuffie knows about Riku and Sora...  How obvious must **I** be???  Shitshitshit..._

"Besides, any friend of yours is a friend of mine!  And a cardinal Yuffie-rule is to not screw over your friends."  Backing up her statement with a cheerful nod of her head, Yuffie grinned at Kairi reassuringly. 

            "Sometimes I'm not so sure..."

            "About what?"

            _Yeah, what **am** I not sure about?  _Taking a moment to try and set up her own thoughts in her head, Kairi sighed and gave up.  There wasn't really a rational way to put them all together.  She'd just have to wing it and hope that Yuffie understood.  She seemed to be getting everything up to that point anyway. 

            "It's just that...  The three of us used to be a team."

            "Like the Three Musketeers or something?"

            "Heh... Yeah, kinda like that, I guess.  We were all best friends and we were all on the pretty same level.  And... I was really grateful towards them because I'd just moved to the island and they'd accepted me as their friend so quickly.  So now I just feel like a total selfish idiot and nevermind."  Kairi sighed again, whacking her forehead against her knees in a feeble attempt to bash such betraying thoughts out of her mind.  But Yuffie seemed to have a different idea.

            "No, go on!"

            "...Um..."

            "Please?"

            "...Okay."  There was still no way to refuse that look.  "It's just that sometimes I feel like it's all... _dying_ or something.  Ever since I got here, they've been a huge part of my life and always my best friends.  I guess I thought it would always stay that way, or at least until we graduated from high school or something.  I don't know...  But..."  Kairi frowned, looking out at the ocean as it struggled to mirror the dazzling sunset above it.  The poor ocean would never get it just right, that much Kairi knew.  There were too many imperfections with the water, no matter how clear it seemed.

            "I _am_ happy for them.  And I really do support their love and everything.  And I _know_ it's selfish, but I just...  I guess I'm afraid they'll forget me."

            Jolts of electricity suddenly shot up Kairi's arm, racing from her palm all the way into her brain like wildfire.  What the--?!  Yuffie was holding her _hand_.  _...Please.  Kill me now.  _Thankfully, Yuffie's ever-brilliant smile cut off her voice and the other girl spoke before Kairi was even able to babble some sort of incoherent noise.

            "They'd never forget you!  Come on, Kairi, don't be sad!  You live in this _amazing_ place and your friends really do care about you.  And you're not selfish for not wanting to be forgotten.  Nobody wants that!  Yeah, those guys have a pretty solid relationship it seems.  And _yeah_, a relationship like that is something that only they share between themselves.  But it's not like you won't get a chance."

            _If only you meant it the way I wish you meant it.  ...Actually, wait, no... I feel like fainting right now.  So I'm **so** glad you're just cheering me up.  _Kairi continuously tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it simply refused to budge.  And it didn't help that Yuffie had actually gone quiet and seemed almost... _thoughtful_.  It was a silence Kairi felt that she just had to break or else it might drag on forever.  ...Granted, Yuffie was still holding her hand, and the idea of holding hands with Yuffie **forever** didn't seem half bad. 

            And once again, Yuffie seemingly read her mind and broke the silence, giving Kairi a warm smile and she stood up, pulling the younger girl to her feet as she did so.  "Hey, we should get back soon.  Otherwise your mom's gonna wonder where you are and she'll get mad at that 'nice little boy who walks you home every night.'"  Laughing at this, Yuffie missed the slight pout that adorned Kairi's face.

            "I'm **still** really sorry about that!"

            "Hey, how come you haven't told her I'm a girl?"

            "You were **pretending **to be a guy!"

            "I was?"

            "Well you sure didn't object to her _calling_ you one!"

            "Oh ye-aaah, I didn't did I?"

            "Yuffie!"

            "Whaaat?"  Laughter trailed behind the pair as they headed back towards the dock and it was only a glimmer of a thought in the back of Kairi's mind that pointed out the obvious fact that her fingers were still loosely entwined with Yuffie's.  It wasn't even a 'real' hand-hold, one could say.  Their fingers were barely laced and no part of their hands were making contact other than that.  It was just something that was there and was seeming to go rather unnoticed until Yuffie's drifting mind caused her to idly caress the side of Kairi's hand with her thumb.

            And it was over in several seconds.

            Kairi jumped, Yuffie snatched her hand away, and the moment was shattered.

            "Sorry!  I didn't mean to--"

            "I-I-It's okay.  Ah...  Ne-nevermind." 

            The rest of the trip home was silent and neither girl was able to tell what the other was thinking, for as much as each of them believed that they knew the other well enough to judge what they would do, they were both wrong.  And they were both wrong because Kairi and Yuffie said goodbye as Kairi reached her house, the sun long gone from the islands.  There was no hand-holding and there was nothing more.  Just a small timid smile that was always on Kairi's face and a small wave that she always seemed to be giving because she couldn't will her hands to do anything else.

            Her parents were... somewhere.  Kairi didn't know where.  Most likely they were watching some old movie in the basement.  She was rather saddened to find that she didn't really care where they were either.  She didn't want to hear her mother ask how 'the nice boy who walked her home' was doing.  Kairi didn't even want to think about Yuffie at that moment. 

            _Am I... mad?_

Concert CDs, video cassettes, DVDs, and album after album of music was torn from Kairi's closet and each and every song was played, each and every concert watched and the more she listened and the more she saw, the more frustrated she got.  These were love songs, most of them.  These were women who liked other women and they were happy.  They had courage to be who they were and they had courage to get on front of a stage, hundreds of people before them, and just do what they loved doing. 

            Kairi couldn't even hold Yuffie's hand.

            And so it was that Kairi found herself alone.  There were crowds of people on the screen, there were cheers of people through the headphones and they were all unreal.  The only real person at that moment, the one person Kairi hated most and yet couldn't stop thinking about... just wasn't there. 

            _I guess I'm not mad at her.  Not really.  There's no reason for **that**.  Maybe I'm just... mad at **me**._

            Frustration is a wicked thing.

........................................................................

            Chapter based on and named after a Sleater-Kinney song.  I highly recommend it, especially while reading the last half of this chapter.  You'll probably find a couple more chapters inspired from that band, too. 

            You know... this chapter had a considerable amount of fluff.  And then it didn't.  That sort of sucks.

Ori


	9. Memory Bank: Bail Me Out

            New perspective to give Kairi's mind a rest.  Hehe, enjoy!

.......................................................

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Memory Bank: Bail Me Out'

            Yuffie's apartment looked nothing like it had the first day of her arrival.  Though there was still a tower of cardboard boxes she'd just never really gotten around to unpacking --"Who's needs good china?  Hah!  Not me!"-- and the curtains for her living room still had yet to be hung up, her living space looked... very well-lived in. 

            And it certainly was.

            As always, Yuffie wandered through her door some time shortly before seven-thirty, closing the door quietly behind her.  She knew that Lulu would be asleep next door and would throw a complete fit if anyone or anything cost her even a moment's beauty sleep.  Not that the older woman really needed it in the first place, or anything...

            However, tonight was different from most nights if only because Yuffie was worried.  She was nervous, skittish, anxious...  Something akin to a large tossed salad of rotten emotions that were just plain bothersome.  That wouldn't make a very good salad then, would it?

            "Thaaat was not smart.  That.  **Was** _not_.  Smart."  Clutching at her blond streaked black hair, Yuffie began pacing back and forth through her apartment, weaving around scattered furniture and various boxes of random junk.  "Eyyaaagh, if I were back home, I wouldn't care!"  That was partially true, Yuffie supposed, though some deeper part of herself couldn't help but snicker and eagerly remind her that it'd happened before. 

            Hours slowly began to trickle by and at some point Yuffie managed to microwave herself a bowl of instant macaroni and cheese.  Granted, she overcooked it, but Yuffie had never really been a brilliant chef anyway.  Besides, the macaroni could've been undercooked.  _That would've been simply**... tragic**._

            _Hehe.__  Well at least my old self isn't **totally** gone!_  Staring at the steaming pile of supposedly-edible orange goo in front of her, Yuffie's mind easily began to wander.  And the further and further it wandered, the further back in her memory it tended to lead itself until it was happily guiding Yuffie through the past that too few knew about.  Was it terribly scarring and depressing?  Certainly not.  If anything, Yuffie guessed that was the problem right there.

-------

            _"You're Yuffie, right?"_  Arms folded behind her back, Rinoa bent down slightly so as to get a better look at the girl seated on the floor.  In return Yuffie looked up at her, scampering back into her little mental file cabinet and putting together the pieces she knew about Rinoa in a flash. 

            Old girlfriend of some guy named Squall.  Seifer too, actually.  Possibly a tramp.  Interesting?  Possibly that too, if only because she was the only other female within a ten mile radius.  No, scratch that.  It was a stupid thought.

            _"The one and only!__  And yeah, yeah, you're Rinoa.  I wasn't asleep when Seifer introduced you, ya know.  Nice to meet you."_  Shooting the girl towering above her a brilliant flash of a grin, Yuffie happily settled herself against the wooden wall of the old house.  Only Seifer and Zell hung around the place at this house and Yuffie couldn't help but idly wonder why Rinoa was still here.  She was new.  Shouldn't she be leaving or something?

            Wait, no.  She was probably waiting on Seifer.  Tramp.

            _"Well, I wasn't sure."_  Rinoa smiled warmly down at Yuffie, black wisps of hair falling from their place tucked neatly behind her small ears.  Okay, she was cute.  Yuffie would give her that.  But hell, _Yuffie_ was cute.  This chick was just...  Eh.  Strange.  Still.  **_Tramp_**!! _ "Can I sit with you or are you all 'I'll bite your head off if you touch me' too?"_

            "_Huh?"_

            _"Thanks."_  Without further question, Rinoa made herself comfortable next to Yuffie, closer than really necessary, she noticed.  _"So how long have you been with them?"_

_            "Me?  Original member."  _A proud smirk stretched lazily across Yuffie's face. 

            _"Ohh.__  Wow.  So are you like... special or something?"_

            Great.  Way to go and just stick your nose where it doesn't belong, girl.  Yuffie's pride instantly took a good hard punch to the gut from Rinoa's question as Yuffie frowned slightly and scratched her knee absentmindedly, thinking and talking, but not bothering to have the two actions intertwine with one another.  _"Erm.__  No.  Seifer's the head honcho, as you know.  Zell's... well, he's Zell.  Irvine's probably second-in-command, if you could call it that..."_

            Rolling her eyes, Rinoa laughed lightly and leaned in towards Yuffie, lowering her voice as she spoke again.  _"Well I know **that**.  But what about **you**?"_

            _Personal bubble, personal bubble!  Sheesh, she really **is** sort of... 'needy.'  _Perhaps if the somewhat-sticky aura that Rinoa seemed to radiate _wasn't_ there, Yuffie would've gone all out with the flirt, flatter, and floor routine.  Floor.  Heh.  _Wrestle on the bedroom floor, always leave me wanting more!_

_            "You already know who **I** am_!"  Yuffie stuck out her tongue, causing Rinoa to giggle again, though the other girl didn't back away as Yuffie had hoped.  Come on, how childish did she have to act to make Rinoa scamper off?  Only trouble would come to whoever dared to lay a paw on Squall or Seifer's girl.  ...Even though Yuffie was almost positive that Rinoa was dating neither of them that week.

            Erk.  It was always switching back and forth, on and off.  Too hard to keep track of, too much hassle, too much of a pain in the ass.  Yuffie had thought both of those guys were gay anyway, so either her gaydar was seriously awry or Rinoa was _really_ something else.  Professional Easer of Sexual Tension, maybe?  Not the best title the world had to offer...

            _"Come on, Yuffie, I'm serious!"_  Drawing her glossy bottom lip out into a pout that was nothing short of adorable, Rinoa gazed mournfully over at the girl beside her, knowing that she was perfectly capable of plucking anyone's heartstrings with that look.  _"Don't you like me?"_

            Purposefully averting her gaze, Yuffie quickly tried to collect her scattered thoughts.  _O-kay, so Seifer's little toy is definitely coming onto me.  Good?  ...Eh, not so much so.  Screw that.  This is **really bad**.  Shit.  _It was hard to be your usual perky self when you were trying to make sure you weren't going to lose your head by talking to some girl next to you.  Especially Rinoa.

            _"I hardly know you!"_

_            "Nuh-uh!  Seifer introduced me to everyone like... two **hours** ago.  We definitely know each other."  _

            Well, when in doubt, there was always one thing Yuffie was able to fall back on.  _Switching topics... now.__  "So did you knit that duster yourself?"_ she asked, pointing to the light blue garment Rinoa wore over a pair of black shorts and a tank top.  Of course, Yuffie wasn't going to mention that the other girl looked great in it.  ...Rinoa probably already knew that anyway.

            _"Yeah!__  You like it?"_  Hopping up from her seat beside Yuffie, Rinoa gleefully spun around in front of her, always eager to model off her favorite piece of clothing.  _"I can make you one too, if you want one!"  _Grinning, Rinoa confirmed Yuffie's prediction.  Pearly white teeth, virtually perfect.  Hmph.  She probably had braces in the third grade or something.  No way in hell was anyone born with teeth that perfect.

            Yuffie nodded energetically.  Well, she did like the duster.  That sure wasn't a lie.  But she liked the duster on _Rinoa_.  Big long things that actually covered skin weren't much to Yuffie's liking when _she_ had to wear them though.  But this girl didn't need to know that.  If it would just get her to shut up and go away...

            _"Hey, wanna go get ice cream or something?"_  Rinoa crouched down in front of Yuffie, looking at her adoringly.  _Where the hell did **that** come from?!  GAH!  What a little skank!  "It's getting late and I'm really hungry..."_

            _"Listen, Rinoa!  Maybe you don't **get **it or something, but I can't go screwing around with Seifer's stupid little **girlfriend**!"_

_            "...Huh?"_

_            "YOU!"_

            Innocent wide eyes.  _"Screw around with?"_

_            "Well I **am** gay, dammit!"  
            _That _giggle_again!_  "Hehehe, I know **that**."_

            _"Nyaaah...  You're driving me crazy!  Go awaaay,"_ Yuffie pleaded desperately.  All attempts at acting her age or even the slightest bit mature were long gone.  Obviously, they weren't working at all.  So Yuffie clamped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut tight, determined to block out absolutely _everything_ about the girl in front of her.  And she'd stay that way until Rinoa just gave up and left, darn it all.

            And so Yuffie sat like that.  She had no idea how much time was passed as she remained there, curled in a protective ball and efficiently blocking out all sight and sound from the world around her.  Floorboards shifted slightly beneath her and Yuffie swore she felt the closing of the front door even from her position on the floor.  _Just a few more minutes to be safe...  _Really, Yuffie was quite proud of herself for remaining so still for so long.  Must have been a new record.

            Peeling her hands away from her eyes, Yuffie was startled to find that the house was dark.  It seemed as though several hours had actually passed and Yuffie's body was slowly starting to register that fact as she also came to notice that she'd long since long the feeing in her feet.  Great.  Just great.  And all because of some obnoxious little--

            _"Finally returned to the world of the living?"_  That voice nearly had Yuffie shrieking and flying through the roof, but instead she just settled for a choked yelp before falling over completely onto the floor, gawking at Rinoa who stood above her, arms folded across her chest.  Though Yuffie couldn't see her _that_ clearly in the dark, she was almost positive that there was some sort of wicked grin of triumph on Rinoa's face.

            _"And you thought you could get rid of me that easily!  I'm hurt."_

_            "Will you just go away?!"  _

_           "Yuff-iiiieeee.  Why don't you like me?"_  Thankfully, Yuffie couldn't see that pout so it had almost no effect on her. 

            _"Because I like having all my limbs attached and functioning perfectly, thank you very much!"___

_            "I'm single, ya know."_

_            "...Maybe you're delusional and you just **think** you're single."_

            _"That's mean!  You just don't want to have ice cream with me, right?"  _An audible sniffle was carried through the following silence, straight to Yuffie's ears. _ "I thought you were **nice**."_

            _"Okay, okay!  Just shut up!  We'll go get some smoothies or something!"  
            "I said ice cream."  _Yuffie felt Rinoa's hands blindly reach down into the darkness and grasp firmly onto her wrist, tugging Yuffie to her feet.  _"I know your favorite flavor, too!"_

_            "Wha??"_

           A grin.  Yuffie knew it was there even as the two of them stumbled through the darkness of the abandoned old house, searching for the front door.  "I asked Seifer what your favorite flavor of ice cream was.  Chocolate chip cookie dough, right?"

            _"You're weird."_

_            "You too."_

-------

            Yuffie smiled down at the now cold bowl of macaroni in front of her.  Memories spilled out in fragments after that, for hours had long since continued to drift past her and Yuffie was growing to tired to piece the shards together. 

-------

            _"So where do you sleep then?"_

            Yuffie blinked at Rinoa.  Weird question.  Weird girl.  _"...Wherever.  Usually I just crash back at our joint, just because.  Sometimes I stay with my parents."_

            Rinoa nodded.  Silence.  Not awkward.  Just... silence.

            _"You?"___

_            "Hm?"            _

            _"What about you?"_

_            "Oh.  ...Around."_

_            "...Oh."_

-------

            _"Come on, Rinoa!  I told you the water's **fine**!"_

_            "But it's **cold**!  Are you crazy?!"_

_            "Hell yeah!"_

_            "Yuff-ie!  Stop splashing me!"_  Shrieks of laughter and a spout of giggles.  They sounded like a couple of kids at a swimming pool or something.  Not that they cared.

-------

            But there were memories that weren't as fun and happy.  There weren't many of them, of course, because between Yuffie and Rinoa there wasn't much room for arguing or pointless fights.  There were no break-ups, there was no final showdown.  No scars from some mindless adolescent war.

            Rinsing out her bowl, Yuffie blinked owlishly at the darkness around her.  Huh.  She still hadn't turned on the lights apparently.  Rather than walking across the room to do so, Yuffie simply shrugged it off and meandered over towards her bedroom instead.  It only took a few minutes for her to change into a comfy oversized t-shirt and brush her teeth, leaving Yuffie only too happy to finally slip beneath the sheets of her bed.

            Apparently though, Rinoa wasn't done with her mind yet.

-------

            _"Seifer's leaving, Yuffie."_

_            "Yeah... I know.  We're all saying goodbye to him tomorrow.  Can you not make it or something?"_

_            "No, it's not that..."_

_            "...So?"_

_            "I'm going with him."_  A sigh.  A smile.  It tried to make itself cheerful, comforting, and reassuring all at the same time, but instead it simply came off as being small and confused.  Just like Rinoa herself.  The perfect girl who was not so perfect after all.

-------

            _"Don't you get it, Yuffie?  I'm really, **really** sorry.  But **please**...  I don't want to have this conversation over a phone!"_

_            "It's not **my** fault your hundreds of miles away, ya know."_

_            "Yuffie, stop calling.  Please.  I love you, but..."_

_            "I don't understand!  I told you already, I'm willing to do it!  I can make it down there with no problem and we'll all be together again and--"_

_            "Change doesn't always change."_

-------

            If knowing Leon had had one effect on Yuffie, it would have had to be for the better.  Rather than breaking down or anything, Yuffie was simply able to take it in stride and move on.  Rinoa didn't need to know that they were all on Destiny Islands now.  Hell, Rinoa didn't have to know anything anymore.  She was just another name in the catacombs of memory, just another dusty file in the back of Yuffie's head that was occasionally reopened every once in a blue moon.

            Why, of all people, had Seifer been chosen over Yuffie?  _I thought she was over him._  But no, Yuffie had assured herself that she was long since over all that and she was determined to close those doors. 

            ...But not all of them.

            _So.__  If Rinoa were in my situation, what would she do?_  Simple answer.  Rinoa wouldn't have cared.  Rinoa would've gone right on ahead flirting madly with Kairi much like she flirted with anything that walked upright on two legs.  Male, female, who cared?  Anything was fair game up until the point when she decided to take on Yuffie.  Then it was just... different.

            _Argh!  I have to stop thinking.  It just screws me over_.  But there was still truth to her thoughts that wouldn't go away.  Rinoa, master of emotion and getting what she wanted...  _Rinoa_ wouldn't let some stupid hand-hold faze her in the least.  So why should Yuffie?  Hell, she was **_Yuffie_** after all!  There wasn't a single person she ever met who didn't like her! 

            Eyes snapping open, Yuffie sat bolt upright in bed, head spinning from the sudden motion that had snapped her out of her half-asleep stupor.  **Hah**!  That was totally right!  Yuffie was Yuffie and as _long_ as she was Yuffie (which would be forever, as far as she knew), there was no need to go around like some lovesick puppy!  Instinctively, Yuffie's hand plucked the phone off of her bedside table, fingers dancing across the keypad nimbly.

            One ring, two rings... three... four...

            "He...llo?"  Aerith muffled a small yawn on the other side of the phone.

            "Aerith!  Rinoa _isn't_ a total bitch!"

            "...That's nice, Yuffie?"

            "I **know**!  Because... because... I'm... so _totally_ in control!"

            "Really?  Oh.  That's... good..."

            "I mean, you know, I was having those crazy flashbacks again, and it's because of _Rinoa_ that I did anything at all!  Oh, well, by that, I mean holding Kairi's hand.  I know, I know, you probably think it's stupid or whatever.  It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, okay?  Gimme a break.  But it was so _worth_ it!"

            Aerith blinked sleepily at the clock, trying in vain to force herself to stay awake.  Though she couldn't quite make sense of Yuffie's words in her sleepy stupor, there was no reason Yuffie would call at two in the morning unless it was really important... right?

            "--but I've given up on that, you know?  Rinoa made her decision and I'm okay with that.  Besides, she was always giving me weird answers that I couldn't figure out.  I mean, what exactly does it mean if someone says 'change doesn't always change?'  What kind of--"

            It was slowly becoming obvious to Aerith that she was losing the battle to keep her eyes open.  Her blinking turned slow and sluggish and eventually ceased all together, eyelids coming to rest, covering sleeping green orbs with ease as Yuffie babbled on endlessly into Aerith's ear.

            "--stupid of me to come down here in the first place, I know.  Especially for my stupid, _stupid _reasons, but I'm glad I did!"  Suddenly letting out a tired yawn, Yuffie covered her mouth lazily with the back of her free hand, the other still clutching the receiver to her ear as she talked eagerly into it.  "Sorry, Aerith.  Just a bit tired.  Hey, it's pretty late, I'll see you at work, m'kay?"

            "..."

            "...Aerith?  You there?"  Yuffie shrugged, even though she was well aware that her friend wouldn't be able to see the gesture.  "Okay, I'm off.  Good night!"

-------

            _"Yuffie!__  Come here a sec!"_

_            "Huh?  What is it?"    _

_            "Look!  I made it!"  _Rinoa proudly held up a small bracelet made up of tightly woven hemp, glass beads intertwined with the fibers in a vast array of colors.  _"Do you like it?"_

-------

            "Morning, Kairi!" Yuffie exclaimed, waving cheerfully to the younger girl as the bells tied to the front doors of the restaurant jingled merrily, signaling her entrance.  Eyes widened slightly in surprise, Kairi blinked at Yuffie several times before deciding that everything was honestly okay and smiling in return.

            Aprons were donned, jokes were made, laughter shared, all before the opening of the Polar Eclipse and the inflow of customers ready for lunch on a warm day, the island sun pumping out all it had to offer for the month of July.  Tips were collected, sandwiches sliced, and Cloud actually whipped up two Mako Poisonings for a cute bouncy brunette and her smiling blond boyfriend out front.  Special discount, of course, for being friends of the waitress.

            And at the end of the day, the aprons were hung up, the sales were tallied up, tables wiped down, floors swept, chairs stacked, dishes run through the dishwasher, and music blared into the rather barren restaurant to keep its clean-up crew in good spirits.  If Kairi had still been nervous about what had happened the day before, she was doing an amazingly good job of not showing it.

            And seeing as she really didn't do a very good job of concealing _any_ of her feelings, Yuffie came to the conclusion that it was all clear and safe at that point, ready and waiting for her to make the next move.  It didn't have to be right then, though.  Kairi wasn't Yuffie or Rinoa.  She was Kairi.  And Kairi being Kairi was as solid a fact as Yuffie being Yuffie.  That was that and that was all there was to it.

-------

            _"Yuffie!__  Hurry up!"  _Rinoa tore through the woods, her sneakers crunching over dead leaves and fallen twigs as she wound her way around the trees, guiding both her and Yuffie to a large clearing; a meadow situated in the middle of the forest.  Gulping in a deep breath of fresh air, Rinoa then let out a happy sigh before leading Yuffie over towards an old broken down truck that sat on the far end of the meadow.

            There was already a large crowd of boys gathering there, just as they always did every week for their blitzball practice.  And just as they always showed up to practice, Rinoa showed up to watch them.  Maybe for her it was like going to church.  Once a week, go brush up on your morals and listen to sermons and keep yourself in check.  Once a week, go ogle the boys and keep yourself in check. 

            Surely they fell in somewhere along the same league for her.

            _"Aww, Yuffie.  Even **you **have to admit some of them are pretty hot, right?  Don't you like watching them?"  _Autumn breezes played tricks with Yuffie's mind, tugging and pulling gently at the ever-stubborn strands of Rinoa's hair that refused to obey her wishes and had slipped free from her ponytail. 

            Reaching out with one hand, using the other to pull herself up onto the hood of the broken down truck beside Rinoa, Yuffie tucked the ebony lock gingerly behind Rinoa's ear and grinned her broadest and her brightest.  _"You watch them, I'll watch you... We'll call it fair then, m'kay?"_

_            "Hehe!  Okay!"_  Brilliant grin, pearly white teeth.  Still perfect.  And Yuffie had even asked about braces earlier on.  Rinoa had simply laughed and said that she'd never had them in her entire life.

            But the two spent one afternoon after another out there, Rinoa watching the boys and Yuffie focused on Rinoa.  There was no way for her to go without being watched, and as expected she always gained attention from those she seemed to take 'special interest' in.  They would smirk, wave, and proceed to show off.  Rinoa would laugh, smile, and clap wildly.  The perfect audience with perfect teeth. 

            Winter was filled with crackling fireplaces and random gifts from Rinoa, all of them knitted and all of them extra-warm for the cold season that always seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of them.  And when spring came it was always the same.

            _"Come on, Yuffie, time to go!  The field's full of nice fresh boys!  We don't wanna be late!"_

_            "Hurry up, Yuffie!  Let's go!"_

_            "Faster, faster, come on!"_

            Yuffie could never say no simply because she could never say no to _Rinoa_.  Had any other person been stupid enough to drag her with them to go scouting for boys, Yuffie would've laughed in their faces until her sides ached.  But it was only Rinoa who asked.  And it was only Rinoa who would eagerly slip her hand into Yuffie's, swinging their arms back and forth while they walked.

            And of course, only Rinoa could give Yuffie that pleading look, that sweet smile with those _teeth_.  She'd confided in Yuffie of course, because for a long while, there was no one closer to Rinoa than Yuffie and there was no one closer to Yuffie than Rinoa. 

            _"I've never had braces, no."_

_            "Maaan, you're so lucky.  That's not fair at all."_

_            "I do bleach my teeth though."_

_            "...Oh."_

Not-so-perfect Rinoa with her not-so-perfect teeth suddenly began monitoring the hallways of Yuffie's mind day and night, whether Yuffie was willing to admit it herself or not.

.......................................................

            Somewhat shorter than normal, yes... Sorry about that.  But I'm starting to smell plot.  Lots of it, too.  Up until, oh, just several hours ago, this fic didn't have much in the way of plot going for it.  And for those of you lost and confused-- _awesome_.  I've done my job.

            Oh, eh, umm...  Yeah.  If you don't like the lack of yaoi in this chapter, I'm sorry.  There will be an entire chapter centered around Leon eventually, don't you worry.  It'll help you piece this crazy plot together, too.  I **promise**.

...But for those of you who didn't mind it... _Yay_. 

Ori


	10. Memory Bank: Happiness is All the Rage

Originally, this was going to be divided into two separate chapters. You know, one with lots of Leon/Cloud and one with lots of Yuffie/Kairi fluff. Only I figured I should just stick this in here now because it keeps the story moving a bit. ...BAH. Screw this, just read the note at the bottom.

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Memory Bank: Happiness is All the Rage'

Several days had trailed by since Kairi and Yuffie had visited the play island and not much had really changed in how the two interacted. Yuffie was still her normal perky self and Kairi was still... well, she was rather proud of herself. She hadn't been blushing like crazy _that_ much.

Leon, however noticed other things that some of the less toned minds of the island obviously missed. Why? Well, it was just the way he was. That, along with the fact that spending years as Cloud's roommate had taught Leon that he always had to be looking for change. If you don't look for change, the next thing you know you'll end up with a roommate who's madly in love with you or something. Yeah, that was pretty much it.

What surprised Leon most was how oblivious everyone else seemed to be to the things that seemed so simple and obvious to him. Here was Yuffie, who had come out to Destiny Islands for a reason everyone had objected to and warned her about and flat out _despised_... Here was that Yuffie, completely abandoning her original plans and developing a crush on some **kid**. Cloud was doing who _knows_ what with that 'old friend' of his, Tifa was growing even more supportive of whatever dangerous thing might have sparked between Kairi and Yuffie, Aerith was still wanting the world to be happy, and Leon...

Leon...

Leaning back in his battered old desk chair, Leon closed his eyes and rested his head on his folded hands. He'd just finished going through the month's income and outcome and whatnot, and was actually quite pleased. Granted, you really couldn't tell that just by looking at him, but he _was_. Since the restaurant had opened, a steady stream of regular customers had been flowing in and there were almost always more new faces added into the mix, be they tourists or visiting relatives to Destiny Islands.

He was successful, so he was pleased. Logically, it made sense. But the more Leon allowed his mind to linger on it, the more he figured that he wasn't really as successful as he first thought. And _that_ thought led him to start wondering if his happiness was really happiness or not and then _that_ though had him back-pedaling through time and space, trying to plant his finger on a time when he was really, truly decidedly happy.

All he got was a mirage of faces and images he'd thought he'd long since forgotten. Where were all those memories though? There were no voices in faces, no stories behind images. Just oversized mental canvases, littered with nothing but pure and simple _junk_.

_"Cloud, you're impossible. Just look at this place. It's like you **enjoy** living in your own filth."_

No, that was a memory from that very morning. It didn't really count, Leon figured. Opening his eyes, he surveyed the clock on the other side of the room. Seven o' clock, on the nose. They'd be closing up the restaurant and coming to bother him any minute. Figuring he didn't have much time left in his solitude, Leon rubbed his fingertips against the bridge of his nose as though he were suffering from some chronic sinus pains or just one hell of a headache. He had neither, but some part of him felt pained anyway, so he at least gave himself credit for trying to ease the pain.

Shaking his head, Leon simply sighed and reached for the bottom drawer in his desk. He'd put some cough drops in there when they'd first gotten that huge desk for him at an old garage sale. Might as well go the whole nine yards in trying to cure whatever it was that Leon _didn't_ have.

Nestled under the old bag of cherry cough drops, Leon's eyes widened slightly as they fell on a small shoebox decorated with ribbons and picture clippings-- very girly looking. Tossing the cough drops to the side without a second thought, Leon's hands instantly flew to the little box, lifting its light weight up onto the surface of the large desk. If anything was going to jog his memories at all, this had to be it.

And sure enough, as Leon opened the lid and gazed down at the boxes scattered contents, it did. Notes _everywhere_ and on _everything_. From matchboxes with quick messages on them to sticky-notes with longer messages, Leon couldn't help smiling as he read several.

_Squall--_

_ Yuffie and I made it back early from the movies but then it rained. Your place was closest so we crashed here for a while. If you wiggle your front door handle enough, it eventually unlocks, just so you know. We also had wild and crazy sex on your sofa. Just kidding!_

_ Lots of love,_

_ Rinoa_

_ Squall! You are in **deep shit** the next time I see you, jackass!_

_ Love: Cloud._

_ Squall, I borrowed some popcorn because I was out and Rinoa came to visit. Knew you wouldn't mind. You don't eat it anyway, you idiot._

_ -Seifer_

Gently plucking a picture from the box and holding it carefully between two fingertips, Leon stared longingly at its glossy surface. It seemed like so long ago that they'd all been together up there... But how long ago was it, really? One year? A year and a half? ...More importantly, did it even matter?

The picture was of poor quality, really. But even though it was tilted to the side slightly and somewhat blurry, the image couldn't have been clearer for Leon. Everyone was there. Everyone was smiling. ...Well... Everyone was smiling except _him_. But Leon never really smiled at all to begin with, so that fact wasn't anything notable. Irvine and Zell stood side by side, next to them was Seifer, looking as haughty and regal as ever. Vincent, Reno, Zack... And then in the front sat four people. Rinoa and Yuffie, arms wrapped securely around one another and grinning wildly at the camera for all they were worth. And Cloud and Leon, though back then he supposed he was Squall.

Smirking, Leon couldn't help but chuckle at the image of him grudgingly having his arm wrapped around Cloud's waist while Cloud smiled blissfully at the camera, both arms fastened to Leon's shoulders in a half hug.

_"Come on, Squall! Just put your arm **here**, dammit!"_

_"Squall, what's wrong?"_ Rinoa was _looking_ at him like that again. Always, always she would flirt crazily with him at just the wrong moment. Seeing as they were going out, Rinoa probably figured that there shouldn't have _been_ a wrong moment. Hah. Well that just showed what she knew. Any time Cloud was in the same room as them... _that_ was the wrong moment.

_"Nothing."_ It was an obvious lie and Squall knew it. Rinoa did too, he was certain, but he just ignored that fact almost as much as he ignored the girl herself. Certainly not the nicest thing he'd ever done and Rinoa _certainly_ didn't deserve it, but that was just the way it was. Squall was focused on the blond boy across the room who had yet to even talk to him. Obsessed with some moron he didn't even know. Wonderful.

Following his gaze, Rinoa giggled and leaned against him so as to put mouth beside his ear, making her words unheard to everyone but Squall. _"Cloud, right?__ You like him?" _Coming from his girlfriend, it was certainly unexpected and ever Squall couldn't help but jolt back slightly, resulting in him whacking his head rather painfully against the wall of the building.

_"What?" _

_ "I said you like him. Come on, you know you do. It's kinda obvious."_

_ "I don't know what you're talking about."_ Squall shrugged the statement off as quickly as possible, turning attention elsewhere hurriedly. But the damage had already been done and Rinoa hid a small smirk behind her hand, staying quiet for a moment before finally piping up again.

_"You want me to introduce you guys? You haven't even talked to him once since he joined up, ya know."_

_ "I don't care."_

_ "You know you do."_

_ "Whatever."_

'Whatever' was really supposed to be said as 'No, now would you kindly shut up and just go away?' However, Rinoa had known Squall for quite a long time. In fact, she probably even knew what Squall wanted more than he did. And the strange thing about her was that she never really _cared_ about the whole unwritten constitution of relationships. She was one of those weird and truly loony individuals who just wanted people to be happy. Squall thought she was just plain odd. But a loveable sort of odd.

Before Squall could stop her, the cheery girl had already vanished to the other side of the room where she gave an experimental tug on Cloud's sleeve to gain his attention. Squall watched with growing horror as Rinoa easily started up a conversation with the blond, waving her hands around to emphasize her already enthusiastic words. It was when she finally turned around and jerked her thumb towards Squall that he really got his first good look at Cloud with _actual_ eye contact.

Soft locks of sun-kissed blond hair, enormous blue eyes... And Cloud actually _smiled_ at him!

Squall reflected on that as he stared at the forest floor moments later. It wasn't **his** fault that he just wasn't a very socially-confident person... that was it.

_"Hey there!"_ Gulping down a sharp intake of breath, Squall pivoted instantly on his feet to face the jackass who obviously didn't know when to give a guy a break. Cloud waved back at him, the picture of innocence.

_"I got my body and my mind on the same page_

_ And honey now, happiness is all-- the rage!"_

Leon blinked sleepily and gazed around his office. Weird. He hadn't fallen asleep but... With a yawn, he stretched his arms lazily above his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Leon hadn't even known that such a silly little box could possibly hold all those memories.

Tucking the shoebox back into the safe drawer of his desk, Leon slowly moved towards the door. Telltale signs were already telling him that Cloud was either very hyper, very bored, very alone, or a mix of all three. The last probability was by far the worst, seeing as Leon _knew_ that the moment he walked out of the haven of his little office space, the blond would be all over him. ...Well, more or less.

_ "And we could do more outdoor things_

_ If we weren't so busy-- getting busy!"_

"Cloud, will you kindly just shut up already?" Leon jabbed his thumb down on the power button of Cloud's trusty stereo which had been set up on the kitchen counter. There was only so much racket Leon could handle at certain times. Having felt like crap all day, Leon really didn't think he was capable of handling Cloud at all.

"Aww, you have no taste in music, Leon."

"Not your music. No."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud finished drying the plate he held and gingerly dried his hands on a paper towel before sidling up beside Leon. "He-ey, everyone's gone, ya know. I just hung around because I figured you'd need to lighten up after spending forever brooding in your stuffy old office. Wanna go get some ice cream or something?" After not even receiving a 'Bug off, twerp' or something of the like, Cloud instantly guessed that something was wrong. "I could make us something here too, if you're too tired to go anywhere right now."

Leon gazed steadily at the shorter man beside him, his mind wandering far away from the current time, place, and on-goings. The box Rinoa had given him before she'd moved... There was something that should've been remembered that wasn't. There was something that was just missing.

Needless to say, it was driving Leon absolutely crazy.

"Cloud, you said something once... a long time ago." He began to slowly pace back and forth in the kitchen, pretending not to notice that Cloud had become rather annoyed with the sudden change in topic. Switching from something as important as ice cream to something as dumb as a memory... Leon began to think it wasn't the best time to bring it up, but oh well. He'd already started anyway.

"Yep. I've said a lot of things and I'm sure that a bunch of the best ones were said a long time ago." Cloud rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and making a face, all one right after the other. Typical and yet rare. Mostly because Cloud simply did it whenever Leon was just getting annoying. ...Cloud didn't often find Leon to be annoying. Usually that worked the other way around. "You okay?"

"It was something about heaven or something."

At this, Cloud's eyes lit up, a small smile radiating from his face. "My raspberry heaven theory, huh?"

"That was it." Leon nodded once and then shrugged. "...I couldn't remember."

The room was silent for a moment as Cloud back-pedaled in his brain, trying to figure out where the hell that whole thing came from. "Is that what you were thinking about while you were back there?"

"I just... I was just looking through some old stuff and it reminded me of it, but I just couldn't remember. That's all." Cloud couldn't tell if Leon wanted to drop the topic or if he was simply trying to find a roundabout way to some answer he was looking for. Whatever. Leon looked like he could use some deep-thinking time anyway.

"Something like... 'It's stupid to have to die to get to heaven--'"

_"--you know. I mean, if you kicked the bucket when everyone you loved was still alive, you'd **hate** your own heaven." _Cloud's eyes were focused on the blue blanket of sky above them and if Leon hadn't known any better, he would've thought that the blond was simply talking to himself, completely unaware of Leon's presence.

Leon may have known better than to think that, but he was obviously still far from eloquent when dealing with certain things.

_ "So?"_

_ "So here. This is it. Welcome to heaven." _Cloud's focused returned from the sky, the boy spreading his arms wide around him and grinning like an idiot. Leon blinked, looked around, and blinked again.__

_ "Cloud, we're sitting in a raspberry field. I don't even think we're **allowed** to be here."_

_ "You're point?" _Cloud studied the brunette for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh and allow his arms to fall back down to his sides._ "I'm trying to be deep and meaningful here! Just gimme a chance, okay? You know, I don't even like raspberries."_

_ "...**So**?"  
"You're hopeless, you know that? You're really **hopeless**. Come on, it's not even that hard." _Cloud stared pointedly at Leon, eyebrows drawn together in concentration as though he were trying to send Leon a mental message of what the hell he was talking about._ "I don't like raspberries, yeah, but..." _A few more moment dragged by and once it became clear that all he would get from Leon was a blank stare, Cloud gave up with one last defeated sigh._ "Nevermind. It's okay."_

"I still don't understand." That blank stare was back and more blank than ever. Somehow, Cloud wasn't surprised at all.

"I never really figured you would." A small smirk slowly spread across Cloud's face as he sauntered over towards the nearest counter, pulling himself up to sit on it and study the other man from afar. "Face it Leon, poetry is just not in your mechanics." Earning a sulky glare from Leon, Cloud let out a low chuckle before changing back to the most important topic, of course. "So... You want a smoothie or something? I could make a couple of Mako Poisonings for--"

"Do you think you could explain it to me?"

"Huh?"

"Your raspberry heaven... thing." Obviously, Leon just wasn't as willing to let the topic drop as Cloud was. It was on Leon's mind and he didn't understand it. The only logical action to take was to wheedle the information _out_ of Cloud so he _could_ understand. "It must've made sense at the time. I just didn't understand. Could you explain it to me now?"

Taken aback by the sudden realization that Leon just seemed downright _adorable_ at that moment, Cloud had to take a few breaths and think his words through for a moment before responding, "...Nah. You gotta get it on your own, Leon."

Nimbly sliding off the countertop, Cloud made his way over towards Leon, coming to stop several inches away from him. He tilted his head back in order to get a good look at the taller man, though all he saw in Leon's face was confusion. Just like always...

"Cloud, what are you--?"

"Can I kiss you?" A nervous tongue slid out of Cloud's mouth, wetting his lips. Every single part of him was tingling with that nervous. It reminded him of that afternoon, too... Leon's simple _presence_ was like a natural high for Cloud, but he'd only ever felt that nervous once before, when he'd finally gotten a moment alone with Leon and when he'd finally tried to come clean about everything he felt. "Please? Just once?"

"Why?" The question was so stupid, so heartless, it seemed. But it was so... _Leon_.

"Because I want to!" Gnawing anxiously on his bottom lip for a moment, Cloud continued to peer up at Leon with a worried gaze, refusing to break eye contact. "Please?" Break eye contact with Leon and you gave him a chance to run away. "...I won't do it unless you say I can." Let Leon get away... who knows when you might get another chance.

Months later? Perhaps. If luck's with you, that is.

"I don't understand you..." Leon had nearly ceased breathing altogether and that along with Cloud's sudden request... Part of him was shocked that he hadn't collapsed on the floor yet.

"You never do, dammit! Just. Let. Me." Cloud was pouting now, getting grouchy and frustrated, just like the adorable Cloud Leon had spent the afternoon with... what was it...? Not even a year ago, right? But it seemed like an eternity had passed. "Leon..."

_"I don't understand you!"_

_ "Well there's **something** we have in common!" _Leon could hardly believe he was yelling. **Especially** at Cloud. Why? What had happened?__

_ "All I ever did was be nice to you... Why can't you just..." _Yeah, Leon was pretty sure those were tears sparkling in the corners of those big blue eyes. A stab of guilt was all he felt, but it was enough. Oh, it was **more** than enough._ "Why can't you just tell me?"_

_ "I... I don't..."_

_ "Maybe..." _Cloud scrubbed furiously at his eyes with the back of his hand, fighting back those stupid--__

Tears? Since... since when had Cloud started crying?

"Maybe you _don't_ love me..." Ignoring the fact that his voice broke and faltered and ignoring the fact that his eyes stung and hurt, his head spun, his heart slammed and buckled wildly inside his chest... _Ignoring_ all that, Cloud took a deep breath and continued. "Maybe you don't love me now. Maybe you never did. But... You know... I love you. And I don't care if you... you know... if you love me or not. I guess..."

Silence fell upon the kitchen with a sickening splat and for a moment Leon feared that Cloud would leave that as another unfinished thought, another thing for Leon to figure out. Didn't he understand by then that Leon _couldn't_ figure people out? Hell, he couldn't even figure _himself_--

"I guess I still hope that..." Cloud shoved a small smile onto his face and whether it was real or not... even Cloud couldn't tell. "I guess I still hope that even if you don't love me now, maybe you will. Maybe not tomorrow or the week after... or the month after... But maybe some day."

_If you love me so much, why do you--?_

"**Smoothies**!" Cloud did it. He broke the only hold he had on Leon and turned away. He'd said what he wanted to and finished with... sugar filled beverages. "Or ice cream. Do you want either?" His back towards Leon now, Cloud could predict the answer. He could see what would happen almost as though the entire thing was scripted, written out and performed like some syndicated television program. Disgusting, but easy to read.

_You're gonna leave, aren't you? Give some bullshit excuse and go into hiding because I said all that... right? Tell me I'm wrong. I'm not and I know it._

"Um..." Leon rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, giving the back of Cloud's spiky blond head a puzzled stare. "...How about one of those... You know. Mako Poisoning, right?"

Cloud's eyes widened as he whirled around to face Leon, mouth hanging open in sheer amazement. He hadn't run away, he hadn't...

"Who the hell **are** you and where the fuck is my Leon?!" Adding more to Cloud's growing panic, Leon suddenly burst out... laughing. He wasn't chuckling, he wasn't being sarcastic or-- it was _real_, _genuine_ laughter. And Cloud could only hold on for a few seconds before he started laughing too. No clue why he was laughing, but _Leon_ was laughing... that was pretty damn funny in itself.

"Come on, finish up here and let's get home." Leon rolled his eyes, his laughter subsiding and just leaving traces of chuckles here and there, humor coating his voice like some sort of deliciously chocolate-covered candy. ...At least, that was Cloud's opinion of the matter.

"Hey, I thought you wanted a Mako Poisoning?"

"We've got ice cream at home. Besides, it's getting late..."

"Can we watch TV in your room and eat ice cream? Please?"

"...Okay..."

"Yay! Can I sleep in there tonight? Please?" This, however, received a skeptical look and Cloud was quick to elaborate. "I won't try anything... I swear!"

"...Alright then..."

"YES!" Grinning from ear to ear, Cloud darted around the kitchen, closing cupboards, stacking plates and then grabbing his keys. Hmm... Perhaps... "Do you think I could get the spatul--"

"No."

"Dammit! You're so cheap, Leon! God, you'd think I was asking for you to give me your damn virginity! ...Hey _Le-on_, do you think--"

"**No**."

How much torture could possible be caused by one innocent little trip to a grocery store? That was the question Kairi had asked herself when she'd first allowed for her mother to tow her along on this little... 'expedition.' Their conversation had been brief, but awkward. ...Actually, it was awkwardly awkward... if that made any sense.

For several weeks, Kairi had just felt like she was completely unable to relate to her mother anymore. But... she couldn't tell if it was her fault or not. Gone was the Janice that had always made lemonade and cookies for Sora and Riku whenever they came over to visit. There was no longer a mother there who seemed truly happy with her daughter and who believed she'd done everything right as a parent.

It was almost as though...

It was almost as though Janice were having second thoughts about _everything_. _Did I make a mistake always letting her hang around with Sora and Riku, playing those boy games? Should I have tried harder to get her make friends with girls? Maybe I was wrong to let her wear those silly skorts instead of actual skirts? Perhaps--_

And so it was that what once may have been an easygoing and simple task had turned into a hellish experience. It could all be summed up rather quickly, but it certainly didn't save Kairi the embarrassment that was tacked onto grocery shopping with her mother.

"Kairi, look here!" Ushering her daughter over towards a large display of magazines and tabloids, Janice eagerly picked up the latest edition of _Good Housekeeping_, waving it frantically under Kairi's nose, opened to the middle page. "Emma showed me this the other day..."

Or then there was...

"Kairi, you don't cook enough! What on earth are you going to do when you're _married_?" A small 'tsk' sound brushed passed her mother's overly-red lips, scornful and reprimanding, biting and clawing at Kairi's already tired and exhausted ego. "I already pity your husband, dear."

Of course, the worse still had to be...

"Kairi, hold still a moment..." Janice backed up, tilting her head to the side and looking at her daughter who was simply standing there, hands on the cart and looking rather impatiently back at her mother. Letting out a giggle, Janice grinned broadly and said, "Oh, I bet you just drive all the boys _wild_ with those legs of yours. You're so _lucky_. My mother had great legs like yours, but **me**, oh I must have _missed_ the gene. Just my luck!"

Just like every other human being on the face of the earth, there was only so much Kairi could take. After an hour spent in the produce section alone, Janice placed a slender finger on her chin, thinking of what else they could possibly cram into the cart. Meanwhile, Kairi was practically gnashing her teeth together, trying to keep from exploding at her mother. _I can handle this. Honestly, she's just my mother. How bad could it--_

"Oh, _Kairi_! I almost forgot! You needed more tampons, didn't you?!"

"_Mom_!" Kairi hissed. "Could you **be** any more loud??"

"Oh honestly, dear. It's not like it's a deep dark secret. Every woman goes through it for a long time and everyone knows about it anyway. You're at such a _lovely_ age, Kairi! Having your--"

"**_MOTHER_!**" Wheeling the cart around to face her Janice, Kairi threw a rarely sighted scowl in her mother's direction, ice pouring from her usually cheery blue eyes. "**I'll** go get them, **okay**?! Just... Augh!"

"Don't you use that tone with me, young lady!"

"I'm not using a--" Closing her eyes, Kairi took in a deep breath of air. _Calm down, Kairi.__ Just cool it. Avoid some stupid public scene here and just... deal with it._ "I'll be right back, okay?"

Perhaps if Kairi ever had reason to get her driver's license, she would have been a speed demon. As it was, she tore through the grocery store, reaching the other side in five seconds flat and jerking the cart around the corner into the feminine hygiene aisle, determined not to set a record for speed-shopper-of-the-century, but simply to just get some stupid tampons and make her mother leave her alone. Just for a little while, at least.

Glaring icily at the perky little boxes lined up on the shelves, Kairi snatched a box and tossed it into the cart, hearing it hit the metal bottom with a satisfying bang. She grabbed another box, tossing it in beside it with slightly more force, creating an even more satisfying noise of--

"Kairi?"

Horror. It was all that was racing through Kairi's head and it had only taken a nanosecond to get there. Horror, horror, horror, nononothiscanNOTbehappeningtome...

But there was Yuffie, cheerfully bouncing away from her cart to embrace Kairi in a warm and friendly hug. In the middle of the aisle. In the middle of the freaking feminine hygiene aisle. The one that all the nervous little pre-teens sped past as fast as their legs could carry them. The one that all males avoided like the plague. Yep. That was the one that Yuffie was hugging Kairi in.

If Kairi had thought that she blushed too much when she was around Yuffie already... well, she revolutionized the action in a heartbeat, her face turning a brilliant shade of pink.

"Hey! Long time no see, right?" Obviously, Yuffie was one of those people who were perfectly comfortable striking up conversations while buying... Carefree as always, Yuffie easily reached out and snatched up one of the light blue boxes from the shelf beside her and Kairi, tossing it over her shoulder and into the cart behind her. "Whatcha up to?"

"M...uh...shopping."

Yuffie cocked her head to the side, peeing at the shopping cart behind Kairi. "Wow, lotsa veggies. Haven't you already finished growing?" Whether that comment was supposed to be lighthearted or joking or... _whatever_, Kairi was certain that her reddened face was only getting more so.

"I, uh... My mom's here. I'm just getting... uh... picking up some... nn..."

"Tampons?"

"Y-yes." _Reverting back to my old stuttering self.__ Wonderful. What the hell happened to all the damn progress I made?!_

Yuffie took another glance at Kairi's face and giggled, leaning against one of the shelves and saying, "You know, I was at this coffee shop after work today, right? There were these two ladies there... They must've been fifty or something. They were talking about their kids and their first memories or whatever." Yuffie rolled her eyes as though the very idea of discussing children was just** so **sickeningly... _motherly_... or something.

Kairi was standing there, probably looking very awkward and confused... not to mention horrorstruck, stupid, embarrassed...

"So one of them was all like... 'Well, Mark here, one time he comes up to me while I'm doing dishes and...' Ugh, she just went on and **on**! And you know, she's like... one of those _really loud_ talkers so there's no way I can _not_ listen, right? So she's going on and on about how Mark here got this pocket knife and stabbed a whole in her waterbed and then comes up to her and says, 'Mom, I need a bucket.' I mean, out of the blue, right?"

"Y-Yuffie... Uh...?"

"Hm?" Yuffie smirked playfully, still casually leaning against the damned shelf of... those stupid feminine hygiene products. _What sort of asshole decided to call them that anyway? _

"W-why are you telling me this _here_?" _Especially when all I want to do is just get **out** of here?!_

"Hehe! No reason." Yuffie tucked her hands into her pockets and made an attempt at an innocent grin, though it only came out looking more playful and _evil_ than sweet and innocent. Poking Kairi's nose, Yuffie laughed again as the younger girl's eyes widened and her cheeks were painted with another brilliant color of red. "You just look so _cute_ when you blush like that!"

"Kairi, there you are! I thought you'd left by--" Janice grinned broadly when she saw Yuffie. "Yuffie, dear! Hello there!" Her eyes just happened to stray to Yuffie's cart behind her and her grin faded to a puzzled expression. Why was that boy buying tampons?

Yuffie smiled sweetly at Kairi's mother and waved happily, pretending not to notice how Kairi suddenly looked as though she just wanted to melt into the floor.

"Why didn't you tell me Yuffie was a girl, Kairi? You made me look ridiculous." Those were the first words that came out of Janice's mouth since the incident in the store with Yuffie. It had been awkward, sure, but both Janice and Yuffie had laughed it off, though it was painfully obvious to Kairi that the laughter was fake, _fake_, **fake.**

"You never asked, Mom. You just... assumed."

"So _she's_ been the one walking you home so much recently?"

"Mm..."

"Kairi... How do you feel about..." Janice hesitated, lowering her voice. "..._Homosexuality_?"

"_Mom!_"

"What?!"  
"Why are we talking about this?"

"Kairi, I'm just _worried_, is all. I don't want... I don't want those _friends_ of yours influencing you or any--"

"Stop it!" Kairi had just had it. She was through being polite and courteous and holding back. She was sick of dodging topics and telling white lies. But most of all... she was just sick of her mother's behavior. "Stop talking about them like they're, like they're _sick_ and I'll get a _disease_ from them! Stop making it seem like they're evil and they're wrong! They're **not**!!" Angry tears formed pools in her blue eyes, fire mixing furiously with it.

"You talk about it as though I were... insulting **you**, dear." Janice laughed. A cold, brittle, high-pitched laughter that was nervous. It was scared-- _petrified_ at the thoughts and ideas that were slowly being pieced together in her mind. Kairi suddenly realized what she'd done. ...There would be no avoiding it now.

"I just **worry**, Kairi. I don't want you to be influenced at such a young age. You know I love you, but..." Janice stopped, mid-sentence.

"What, would you _not_ love me if I was gay?" Kairi murmured.

Her words fell flat, swimming on the floor of the car as Janice drove onwards, deadly silent, drowning on that floor when they reached home. Both were silent, no more words falling to join those already said, the slamming of car doors and following darkness being the only funeral they ever received.

"Kairi... Are you?" Grocery bags were pulled from the trunk and Kairi pretended to be very focused on the task of unloading them. But it wasn't that easy... "Are you... _gay_?"

Maybe it was the way Janice said the word. Maybe it was just the way Kairi was raised. ...Maybe it was just because the little girl inside of her wanted to make her mother happy and to clear away her worries.

"No, Mom. Of course not."

Kairi was rewarded with a smile of relief from her mother and a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't much of a reward at all. But it was said and it was done and the issue was dropped. And Kairi couldn't understand. The worst part was that she didn't even _know_ what she didn't understand. Her feelings? Her earlier response to that... question? Her mother? Yuffie? ...Maybe she just didn't understand any of it.

First: Title of chapter and song snippet is Onelinedrawing's 'Happiness is All the Rage.' Ta da.

Second (and most important): RH will be taking a break. Ugh, I know. Damn, I hate leaving this fic, but I've tweaked this chapter so you guys aren't left on a cliffhanger for **weeks** or anything. Just expect lots of plot and shit when it returns from its hiatus. In case you don't read my LJ, I'm taking the next three weeks or so to do a massive wrap-up on PLB and OftB. So there will be updates, just not for this fic or for Lucky Thirteen.

Third: ...Man. I _ruined_ that Yuffie/Kairi fluff sequence. ...I mean... **ruined**. It's de-fluffed and just... upsetting. Maaaaan.

--Ori


	11. Answer Undefined

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Answer Undefined'

If there was one thing that Kairi learned very quickly, it was the line between her home life and her work life. Physically, the line was no more than five blocks long and it was the line that Yuffie walked her along day in and day out, the older girl acting as though it were the most casual act, a second nature of sorts.

But the line was starting to get a little less straight and a little more tangled with each day Kairi and Yuffie meandered over its battered surface.

"Yoo-hoo? Earth to Kairi?" Kairi blinked rapidly and shook her head as a pale hand waved in front of her eyes. After allowing herself a moment to fall back into the regular fast pace of the bustling restaurant atmosphere, Kairi shot Yuffie a timid smile, giving the older girl a little shrug.

"Sorry, guess I sorta spaced out a little..."

"You've been like that for like... _ten minutes_. You sure you're okay?" Yuffie asked, the concern she held for Kairi quite obvious on her open face.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Great!" Yuffie beamed and handed Kairi a dishtowel along with several clean new sets of silverware, neatly bundled up in individual light blue napkins. "Could you set up table twelve for four? Thanks!"

...Well. It was nice to know that some people were so easily reassured.

x x x

"Man, I'm wiped," Cloud muttered, trudging out of the kitchen as Yuffie flipped the 'Open' sign on the doorway over so that it read 'Closed' instead.

Yuffie then slid into one of the far booths of the restaurant, folding her arms on the table in front of her and using them to cushion her head. Saturday's were always crazy, but this particular one had seemed even crazier than usual. Really, Yuffie figured she should've been ecstatic because of all the profit and popularity the restaurant was getting. But all that was on her mind at that particular moment was a lack of sleep and a significant absence of caffeine.

Kairi, Tifa, and Aerith soon joined her, all of them looking equally drawn out and exhausted. Cloud leant against an opposite wall, eyes closed, arms folded, asleep to the rest of the world. Finally Yuffie dragged herself up, turning to Cloud with a wry grin and chirping, "Hey, we're not done yet, ya know. Besides, you're not the one waiting tables all day."

"Yeah, okay, fine. Whatever. You try slaving over a hot stove all day and see how you like it."

"I would. Really, I would, Cloudy-poo." Drawing on whatever surplus of energy it was that Yuffie always seemed to keep stored in case of emergencies, the black haired girl chucked a dish rag at Cloud, jolting the blonde out of his groggy state of mind with a giggle. "But the last time I tried to make a hotdog, I think it blew up in the microwave."

"You _think_?"

Yuffie shrugged, doling out cleaning rags to the other girls while she continued to happily babble on. "Yeah. Well, I mean, it was either the hotdog or the bun that blew up. Maybe they both blew up at the same time?"

Leon, who had been standing in the doorway to the kitchen for the past few minutes, rolled his eyes as laughter sprouted in the room, rolling over the walls and refreshing the tired residue that had been left after a hard day's work. That was the way it was, it seemed. If it wasn't for the upbeat attitude of his employees, Leon had no doubt that the restaurant would have completely flopped within its first week of opening.

Nonetheless... Leon was still Leon and the kitchen was still a mess.

"...Well. This was enlightening." Shooting Cloud a pointed look, Leon jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said simply, "Cloud. Kitchen. Go clean."

"Fuck you."

"Hn. Whatever."

As a general rule, everyone tended to hang around until the restaurant was cleaned from top to bottom. As it _was_ though, Aerith had to catch a bus to the airport to visit her sister. There had been some babble about her eloping with some crazy hot-shot teacher of hers and Aerith's mother was going insane trying to deal with it all on her own. ...No one at the Polar Eclipse really understood what exactly it all was about, but they all knew that Aerith wouldn't be going if she didn't have a very good reason to.

On top of that, Tifa had a date. Granted, that wasn't nearly as important as Aerith's situation, but just as everyone knew Aerith was a responsible individual who did everything she did for a reason, they also knew never to come between Tifa and her sporadic Saturday-night dates.

So it was that the ten o' clock hour found the little restaurant with Kairi washing tables, Cloud washing counters, and Yuffie washing bathroom sinks. It was peaceful, for the most part, and it was the type of environment that Leon thrived in, deep in his back office with his calculator beside him at the day's sales spread out before him on his desk. Calm. Completely and utterly calm.

Kairi looked up from the table she was scrubbing as Yuffie burst through the door to the girls' bathroom, a dark brown jacket slung over one arm as she piped, "Oh, Cloud, I almost forgot. You left your jacket out here this morning and I put it in the bathroom so nobody would take... Cloud?"

"He's in the kitchen," Kairi said with a smile.

"Really? Wow. Either he's really tired or Leon's got him tied to one hell of a leash. ...Hehehehe..." At the quizzical look the auburn-haired girl shot her, Yuffie blinked, cleared her throat, and tried again. "Erm. Anyway! Clooooud!" she hollered. "I'm gonna put your jacket in your car, m'kay?"

"Huh?" Cloud's spiky head of blonde hair burst through the beaded curtain that gave way into the kitchen, a dishrag dangling from one hand and a sudsy plate clutched in the other. "Oh... um... Sure. The keys are in the pocket." With that he disappeared back through the curtain of pseudo-snowflakes and almost completely put the insignificant little incident out of his mind.

Almost. Then he remembered something.

"Wait, wait, wai--!"

"Whoa! Check out this cell phone!"

Leon's mind had finally gotten to a point in which it was relaxed enough to allow the brunette to somehow regain energy while not forcing him into a complete and total slumber. And on a regular basis, Leon would've ignored the chaos trickling in from the dining hall. But those two very poignant words were enough to pierce the veil surrounding him and it was those two words paired with one certain blonde pea-brain that jolted Leon from his rest.

...Cell...phone?

"What?" The question was out of his mouth and his feet had hit the floor before he knew what hit him.

"I didn't know you had a phone! Wow! It's a _camera_ phone! Awesome! Smile, Kairi!" Yuffie pranced back and forth from foot to foot, the precious little silver trinket clutched in her hand, buttons pressed at her mercy, the poor phone seemingly squealing for its sad little life with all the beeps and buzzes it made as button after button was jabbed.

"Wait a minute, I don't remember you buying a--" Leon started, already halfway through the entrance to the kitchen, following rapidly behind Cloud as the blonde shot into the restaurant, scrambling for the tiny cell phone.

"How do you work this thing?" Shake, shake, shake. _Beep, beep, beep_, _savemesavemeohgodsomebodygetheroff_! Somehow, Leon's half-alert mind allowed him a fraction of a moment to feel sorry for the phone. But then it was once again dowsed in questions and annoying confusion that all seemed to point straight towards...

"Gah! Yuffie! Put it awaaaaay... Pleeaaaase..." Cloud fought desperately to get his hands on the phone, to pry it away from the chipper black-haired girl, _anything_ to just put some distance between her and the tortured little gadget in her grasp.

"Just a minute! I'm trying to take a picture!"

"Um, Yuffie...?" Kairi said, trying to squeeze a word in.

"Hold up a minute. How much did that phone cost?" Leon was still confused.

"...Um... I don't know! It's not even mine! Yuffie! Gimme that!" Cloud was still flustered.

"If it's not yours, how come this little text-ie-ma-bob-thing says 'Hello Cloud'?" And Yuffie was still perfectly capable of saying all the wrong things at exactly the wrong time.

"I don't know! GIVE IT!"

"Cloud, where did you get the money for that phone? to think of it, where did you get the money for your _car_?"

"...My rich second-cousin died last month and--"

"Yay! Okay, here we go! _Now_ smile, Kairi!"

"Cloud, tell me the truth!"

"Yuffie! Put down the phone!"

"Alrighty! Look! I got Kairi's pic--"

"STOP!" And everything did stop, right where it was, not another breath, word, sound, or _peep_ broke the deafening silence that swooped down upon the room with a wicked vengeance. Leon's icy voice was enough to make the most hotheaded individual freeze where they were and it was certainly working its charm as he growled, "Yuffie, put the phone down and go clean the kitchen with Kairi. I need to talk to Cloud alone, alright?"

A small pout formed on Yuffie's lips as she shot her boss and old friend a scowl of her own before closing the phone with a sharp _snap_ and tossing it to Cloud who had never looked so relieved as he did the moment the phone plopped into his hands. With a typical teenage roll of the eyes, Yuffie linked arms with Kairi and muttered, "Sheesh. **Fine**, evil overlord. Your wish is my command. Come on, Kairi let's leave them to bite each other's heads off in peace."

As the plastic snowflakes of the beaded curtain clinked cheerily against each other, signaling Yuffie and Kairi's departure, tension flourished in the dining room like freshly sprung flowers. Only these flowers weren't exactly the cute and spunky kind that tend to grow in shades of red and pink. Think ugly, smelly, black and brown flowers and then you'll have the picture.

"Leon, I can explain."

"Good. You'd better start in three seconds or you're fired." There was something lacing Leon's tone that told Cloud that the brunette was serious this time.

"Okay... Where do you want me to start?"

"Oh I don't know. Why don't you try your late night disappearances these past few weeks? The money you seem to suddenly be rolling in? How I seem to lose track of you in the blink of an eye and you show up hours later, hardly any explanation as to where you've been?"

At that, Cloud couldn't help himself. He made a sour face and spat, "You're not my mother, Leon! I'm allowed to go--"

"I'm not finished. Shut up." Cloud did. Leon continued. "You say all these things about how much you care and how much love you have. But then you're off with... _Sephiroth_ within the hour." Leon had to force his voice into submission, refusing to let his manner give into the sadness that had been gnawing away at some part of him for quite some time. "You expect me to take you seriously, but how can I when you do all that?"

"Leon, there's **nothing** there between Sephiroth and--"

"Then what is it?!" Leon exclaimed, his control fraying and becoming tattered, swallowing as he tried to continue in a more calm and collected tone. "What is it then, Cloud? What makes you run away and then snarl and hiss at me for doing the same?"

"If I tell you... You can't tell anyone, Leon. I mean it. Everyone'll flip if they find out and it _really_ won't be good..." Cloud chanced a quick look up at Leon, trying to read his face and seeing if he could trust the brunette with the secret he'd been carting along with himself for weeks now. As always, there was nothing in Leon's face that would give Cloud any reason to doubt him. ...Dammit. That's what Cloud had been afraid of.

Meanwhile, several yards away, Kairi tugged hesitantly on Yuffie's arm, whispering, "Yuffie, do you really think we should be listening in on them? What if... What if they're talking about something really important?"

"Then we have a right to know, right?"

"Well... but... What if it's private?"

"Then we have even more of a right to know." Yuffie shot the younger girl a toothy grin, but upon seeing that Kairi still doubted the ethical reasoning behind the little eavesdropping mission, Yuffie hurriedly changed her grin to a pleading look. "Hey, I just wanna make sure Cloud's not doing anything dumb. He's done it before." ...Well, that was true, for the most part. Yuffie _was_ worried about Cloud. She just also wanted to know where he got the wicked-cool phone.

And it wasn't exactly as though Kairi could ever have said 'no' to that face anyway, so Yuffie was all clear as she turned her attention back towards the doorway into the dining room, carefully having placed herself just inside the kitchen, tucked behind the cover of the wall separating the two rooms.

As Cloud's voice drifted through the curtains, his words laced with secrecy and hesitancy, only making Yuffie shift her wait nervously from one foot to the other as she leaned closer towards the beaded divider. What on earth had the spiky-haired dork been keeping locked up?

Yuffie was about to find out.

"Leon... You know why we all came here. It was because of Yuffie. You know that. The restaurant and everything, yeah, okay, that was a great scheme on your part, but it's not what brought us all down here. It was Yuffie. And before her it was Rinoa. We were on..." Cloud paused, his hands flicking slightly, forcing several helpless gestures out as he tried to find the right words, the right phrasing for his thoughts. "I guess you'd call it a wild good chase, right?"

Yuffie cocked her head to the side, a small voice in the back of her head reminding her that Kairi was only a foot or two away. The younger girl would undoubtedly be confused and really, Yuffie wasn't even sure she wanted Kairi knowing all that took place before her own arrival to Destiny Islands. It wasn't really much to be proud of... but Yuffie refused to budge from her spot, wanting to hear what it was that Cloud was finally deciding to spill for the good of the order.

There was a brief silence in which Yuffie could clearly picture the now dimly-lit dining room, Cloud and Leon standing in its center, Leon nodding slowly with a slightly puzzled and perplexed expression falling across his face. Heh. Predictable.

"Okay. Go on."

There was a sharp intake of breath, a sudden gulp for air as though Cloud was just surfacing for oxygen before plunging once more into the icy waters surrounding him.

"I've seen them. Rinoa and Seifer."

If that wasn't enough to completely floor Yuffie, it was enough to at least make her eyes widen to the size of saucers and her jaw drop. And it was certainly enough of a reaction to draw a worried glance from Kairi, still oblivious to the story unfolding before her.

Words tumbled out of Cloud's mouth as he fought to explain himself, straining against the churning sea of questions and accusations that would undoubtedly be threatening to spill over from Leon's mouth at any given moment. "It's why I've been working for Seph, Leon! He... He's the one who convinced Seifer to come all the way to Destiny Islands. It's a business firm they're running-- a really, _really_ big one. And Rinoa's here, Leon. She's here and she's with Seifer and she's _fine_. But she came because..."

And that was where Cloud caught himself, poised in mid-sentence, leaving words and thoughts dangling in the air as he tried to think of what to say next and what effect it would have on the dubious peace that encompassed the restaurant at that one given moment.

It would destroy it, that much Cloud was certain of.

"She came... because..."

"Rinoa's **here**?!" Plastic snowflakes hurtling to the side, Yuffie was unable to keep what little control she ever held over herself any longer. Rinoa was still on Destiny Islands! And here Yuffie had been thinking that all of it had been in vain, just some idiotic chase she'd gone on, hunting for a reason, an answer... for _Rinoa_. She'd thought for sure that she'd guessed wrong, or that Rinoa had long since come and gone. But Cloud had just said it, Cloud had _seen_ her with his own eyes!

Eyes which were, at that very moment, widened in alarm as Yuffie pelted across the room, grabbing wildly onto Cloud's arm and shaking vigorously, her voice demanding answers, exclaiming, "Where is she? She's okay? Why is she here? Why did she run away? What's she doing? Does she still look the same? Does she still act the same? Is she okay? Is something wrong?"

"Stop!" Cloud wrenched his arm free, taking a few staggering steps away from Yuffie as he spat, "I said she's with _Seifer_, Yuffie. And I _meant_ it. She's still **with** him. Still."

"...O-oh."

In a slightly more gentle tone, Cloud softly said, "I thought that by working for Seph, I could keep an eye on her for you. I know you're worried about her, but Yuffie, she's not yours to worry about anymore. Please... Trust me when I say that she's okay. But... I... don't think she wants to see you right now. It was hard enough to get her to see me."

Yuffie stood there, feeling ashamed for attacking Cloud as she did, feeling foolish for allowing herself to get her own hopes up, and feeling shot down and alone because... Rinoa didn't want to see her? But... Yuffie had come _all this way_. Did it really mean nothing? She was numbly aware of the silence that once again conquered the room, aware of the eyes rooted on her, waiting for her to cry or speak or run. Waiting for her to do something.

All except one pair of eyes, the ones brimming with sympathy, confusion, and somehow, hurt.

"Yuffie..." Kairi started.

"Sorry, Kairi. Guess you don't know what we're talking about, huh?" Yuffie grinned, trying to laugh at the situation and at Kairi's bewildered expression, but somehow unable to no matter how hard she tried. _Why do I feel like I want to just protect her from all this shit? More importantly, why do I feel like I **have** to?_

"No, I don't... not really..."

"...Well. Um... Erherm." Cloud spoke up several moments later, his voice shakily breaking down the silence, though the other occupants of the room still stood mute. "This has been... a romp through a field of daisies. Who wants to go out for ice cream?"

Somehow, Cloud wasn't really surprised by the vehement chorus of "NO"s that came from both Leon and Yuffie alike. The fact that the two of them were agreeing on something just had trouble written all over it and Cloud knew that if he didn't get out of there soon, bad things were just bound to happen. So with a mental 'oh, what the hell', he abruptly laughed and skipped over towards Kairi, the girl who's gaze cautiously drifted somewhere between Yuffie and the floor.

"Okay then, your loss! **Kairi** and I will have a **great **time! Won't we?"

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

"Cloud!"

"Too late now, you guys had your chance. Come on Kairi, the all-night ice-cream parlor won't be open forever!" Forgetting the contradictory words and the evil glares thrown at his back, Cloud mercilessly dragged Kairi from the restaurant, out into the cool night air. _Hey, I'm doing the girl a favor. She doesn't want to stay in there... Who wants to stay in a situation where they understand absolutely zip of what's going on? Nooo one. ...Yeah, this is the right thing._

"Cloud, I'm not really sure if..."

"Hush, girl. I'm saving your ass."

"Oh. Um... thanks?"

"Never a problem. Hey, besides, I've been wanting to talk to you for a while!" Cloud shot Kairi a grin over his shoulder as the pair of them strode down the boardwalk, headed towards the illuminated neon ice cream cone at the far end of the planked walkway.

"Huh? You have?" _Umm...__ I wonder if he knows that I don't think I really go for guys... And I wonder if he knows that everyone thinks he's gay. _

"Of course! Well, you know, mostly about a certain black-with-artificially-bleached-blonde-hair-perky-dorky-individual, but you know. Talk is talk and ice cream is ice cream. You're up for it, right?" No sense in dragging Kairi completely against her will into the ice cream parlor. Cloud would simply gently shove her along and happily hold the door open, if that was what it took. And if it might possibly get his mind off of the wreck he'd left behind him back at the Polar Eclipse.

"Um... Sure... I... guess." _So he does know. ...God, am I really that obvious? _Kairi paused a moment before rolling her eyes as she mentally kicked herself. Of _course_ she was. Even she was aware of the stupid looks she gave the older girl and the stupid blush she got around the older girl and the **stupid**... Well, alright, she would just settle for the solid fact that the entire world could guess at her feelings. Fine. Sure. Alright then.

The ice cream parlor was quaint and humble, traditional checkered table cloths and a long stretch of clean counter-space providing a sort of bar-like effect, dotted with tall chrome stools and red vinyl cushions. Pop-art adorned the walls, geeky old music played from somewhere behind the counter, and one very bored looking woman perched behind the register, gum smacking around in her mouth, occasionally bursting into a bubble before popping and smack, smack, smacking once again.

"Good. But first and foremost, what do you want?"

"Oh, I can pay for it."

"You sure?"

Kairi nodded firmly, fishing around in her pocket for a random five dollar bill she remembered jamming in there a few days ago. Granted, the poor thing had been through the washing machine _and_ the dryer, but it was still perfectly fine, Kairi hoped.

The woman behind the counter let out a throaty chuckle, her voice coming out deeper than seemed normal as she teased, "Not paying for your date, hon? Sheesh, sweetie, what're you doing going out with some cheapskate like this bum?"

Cloud allowed himself to give the woman a crooked smirk before easily replying with, "She's not my date, ma'am. In fact, I'm gay. I'm reasonably sure she is too. So if you could just give me a single scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream on a sugar cone, that'd be _great_."

Well. That took care of that.

Kairi ordered a single scoop of raspberry sorbet before joining Cloud at the little table he'd deemed theirs, still stifling her snickers from the dumbfounded look still hanging off the cashier's face.

"I can't believe you said that!"

Cloud raised a single eyebrow as he lapped greedily at his ice cream cone before saying, "Well sheesh, she had no right going off like that. If she's gonna be so nosy, she can at least get some sort of information _right_."

The two spent several minutes simply savoring the sweet ice cream in front of them, ignoring the looks of contempt thrown towards them by the self-proclaimed island gossip behind the counter. Finally Cloud halted his onslaught on the poor defenseless ice cream cone, cocking his head to the side as he looked up and studied Kairi.

"I hope you don't mind me saying so, but you really don't seem like the type of chick who'd swing for girls, you know?"

Kairi blinked at him confusedly, swallowing a melted mouthful of sorbet before asking, "There's a type you have to be?"

Cloud's mouth stretched into a grin before he broke into laughter. "No! Of course not! It's just..." He smiled, gaze turning up to the ceiling for a moment, piecing his words together and taking his sweet time about it. "You know, there are some people you can just sort of tell right away with. I could tell Yuffie swung that way the second I met her. She's just sort of..."

"...Distinctly gay?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Both of them laughed, happily ignoring the scowls that had developed into full-blown glares coming from the nice old employee standing five yards away. _Oh, who cares about her anyway?_ "But seriously... You do like her, don't you?"

"Pretty obvious, huh?"

"You'd have to basically be blind or stupid to miss it. ...Probably both, really." Unable to help but snicker at the blush that shot up onto Kairi's face, Cloud asked, "So what are you gonna do about it? You've known each other for a while now... You guys are friends... I don't get it. What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I mean... I have... You know. I um..."

"Don't know what you're doing?"

"...Wow. I must suck at covering stuff up."

"Yeah, you seem to. But don't let it bother you too much. It's even more annoying when people are _good_ at covering crap up and you have to actually _work_ to figure them out. Sheesh. That's a royal pain."

"...Leon?"

"Hell yes."

"Ah."

"But anyway. I just don't see what's holding you back. Either of you, for that matter. I know you don't know what you're doing, Kairi, but nobody's _born_ knowing. And you gotta learn sooner or later. That's the whole point behind dating. You're supposed to be learning, you know?"

"...Um...?"

"Hmm... Well, let's see. It's like this. Everyone has different wants and needs, right?"

"Right."

"The whole purpose of dating is to start getting you exposed to other people's wants and needs, not just your own. You have to learn to listen to someone else, be there for someone else, and understand someone else. It's really all just a big sort of prelude to when you get much older and find the ideal person you wanna spend the rest of your life with, right?"

Kairi nodded slowly, popping another spoonful of sorbet into her mouth.

"Besides. It's experimenting. Not like... blowing chemicals up and stuff like that. It's just seeing what you like and don't like in a relationship. 'Oh, she's too clingy' or 'Wow, I need someone _more_ clingy.' You learn all that stuff from dating and seeing lots of different people. So if you think of it as a sort of... learning experience?... Yeah. If you think of it like that, I don't get what you're afraid of."

"Well I guess I just never thought of it like that..."

"What did you think of it as?"

"I... um..." Kairi frowned slightly. "I don't know. I mean, I guess I never really thought of it at all. It was pretty much just... You ask someone out and they say yes or no. If they say no, you get all bummed and depressed. If they say yes, you get all happy and excited and you... just go out? I don't know!"

"Well... What is it that scares you about Yuffie? Why don't you ask her out if it's all that simple? Or... at least _tell_ her something, right?"

x x x

Yuffie perched on a table in the dining room, her legs dangling loosely over the side, her eyes rooted firmly to the ground. Not a word had been exchanged between her or Leon since Cloud and Kairi left. Really, Yuffie didn't know why either of them hung around. _Hmph.__ Well, __Leon__'s probably pissed because Cloud went out for ice cream with someone other than him and I'm probably... Well... ...I guess I'm kinda pissed about it too._

But hadn't Yuffie just been gleefully hoping for another shot at Rinoa only a few minutes ago? What about Kairi? But what about Rinoa?! _Arrrrgh, this is way too much thinking..._

Suddenly, a small metallic chirping noise caused both Yuffie and Leon to snap their heads up, sharing equally confused looks before one single moment clicked everything back together. And at the very same moment with the very same motion, both turned towards the heap lying on a nearby table, forgotten in all the chaos that had blown over.

Cloud's jacket. And the innocent little cell phone cheerfully ringing away on top of it.

"Yuffie, don't--"

Too late.

x x x

Kairi's eyes widened, her brain cranking into overdrive. Jeeze, she hadn't thought one little random trip for some ice cream would involve so much thinking. But just like before, none of her answers really... well... _answered_ anything.

"I... I guess I'm just afraid she'll say no. I don't know. Sometimes I know I'd be better off just getting it over with, but there's other times that I just... don't... know."

"Why don't you tell me something you do know then?"

That one was definitely easy enough.

"I know that I like her. A lot."

And the answer was just as easy.

"Then you've got nothing to lose."

x x x

_Beep_.

"Hello? Cloud?"

Yuffie's breath hitched in her throat, her feet nearly flying out from under her in sheer shock. _Oh God. I... really wasn't... I didn't mean... I didn't think..._

"Hellooo? Anyone there?"

"...Rinoa?"

"Wh-- _Yuffie_??"

(x) (x) (x)

And it's finally back. And the plot is finally jolting forward. Yay.

...Does that count as a cliffhanger of sorts? If so, I'm really sorry. XD

--Ori


	12. If It Wasn't You

**Raspberry Heaven**

'If It Wasn't You'

_It was... strange._

_ Death clung to the place like a second skin, the leaves dead, the bark dead, the grass dead. And yet there they were..._

_ "Hey Rinoa..."_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "If you could live anywhere you wanted to... or..." Yuffie paused, lips parted, waiting for the words to come. "Or... if you could make your life perfect... where would you go?"_

_ "Umm..." Rinoa's legs swung back and forth, the denim stretched across her thighs scratching lightly against the rough surface of the fallen tree they sat on. They sat in the forest of some once-upon-a-time place and they took their time about leaving. Outside of the forest was nothing more than the real world and the real world held nothing for either of them. _

_ At least... That was how Yuffie had thought it'd been._

_ "Doesn't matter where you go. Happiness doesn't come with something like that!" Rinoa grinned, proud with her answer, flippant to the point where the words were nothing less than Rinoa's very finest._

_ But that particular time it wasn't good enough for Yuffie. She pouted, pressing on determinedly with, "That's no fair! Come on, Rinoa... Pretend for a minute that location was important or something. Or... I don't know. You gotta gimme something more than that!"_

_ The forest fell into silence and the once-upon-a-time threatened to drift back into the here-and-now. Then Rinoa giggled, tucking her arms behind her and hopping off of their fallen branch, spinning on her heel to face Yuffie once more as said simply, "I'd go to the water. With you."_

x x x

"Where's Cloud?! What are--?? Why are--??"

"Rinoa, where are you?!" The words came out before Yuffie could bottle them up and tuck them away. Leon winced unconsciously, suddenly find himself debating whether to take the phone to prevent further damage... or... just... let things happen as they were bound to do.

"Yuffie, please. Put Cloud on the phone."

"NO! Dammit, I'm not giving the fucking phone to anyone! I want to talk with you, Rinoa. I want to talk to you like normal people do." Quickly Yuffie added, "So don't hang up on me" for good measure. Because really, phones are very untrustworthy. It's just their nature. Yuffie knew this and her grip on the silver little electronic tightened, afraid to even let it part from her eat for a fraction of a moment.

"..." There was a small burst of static from the phone, probably nothing more than a little sigh coming from Rinoa. _She used to sigh like that... I remember, I remember! When she didn't get her way she'd always--_

"Okay, Yuffie. ...I... I'm sorry." Another pause, another sigh. "Listen, I..."

"Yes?" _The girl hasn't talked to me in nearly a year and this is what she gives me? Sheesh. What the hell did I do wrong??_

"Okay," she said again, her voice quiet but firm as she continued with, "We'll meet up somewhere. ...I want to see you."

"Yay!" Another burst of excitement and rush of adrenaline far beyond Yuffie's shaky amount of control. "I mean... uh.... That's good to hear. Um... where would be a good place for you?"

"It doesn't matter. Somewhere private would be... good..."

_Hehehehehe... Private. Hehehehehe..._

"My apartment! Can you make it to Dussel Street? It's the apartment complex on the corner and my room's 229. Will that work? Does that work?"

Yuffie was well aware of the desperate tone in her voice. She was well aware of it as Rinoa agreed and they both bade a quick farewell over the phone, Yuffie hurriedly snapping the lid of the cell phone shut and tossing it back on top of Cloud's forgotten jacket. She was well aware of it... but she didn't really care. It was Rinoa she was going to go see! Finally! The whole reason she'd left--

"Yuffie."

Halfway to the door, Yuffie paused at the soft sound of Leon's voice. It wasn't dripping with sarcasm or biting with the normal cold tone with which he usually spoke. It almost sounded...

Worried...

"Are you... forgetting about Kairi then?"

Wham.

"What are you _talking_ about?! I... we... I **never**... she..." _Godammit! _"How _dare_ you! I'm not screwing around with her, **okay**?! Why does everyone **think** that?!" _And what fucking right does he have nosing into my personal business anyway?? _"We're **friends**, okay? Like you and _Cloud_ are **friends**, okay?? God, Leon."

"It was just a question," he murmured in that eerie and subdued voice. He glanced cautiously up at the seething girl in front of him before steadily saying, "I think you have feelings for her, Yuffie... and... she has them for you, too."

"Well fuck you, Leon. Okay? Fuck. You. Because you have absolutely **no** grounds to go off giving me advice on how to live **my** life. Especially when it comes to interacting with other people, a topic on which, need I remind you, you are _desperately_ lacking in experience."

And it happened like that. The door to the Polar Eclipse slammed so hard that the walls shuddered and shivered, scared of the burst of rage that had just flickered in their midst. Leon leant against one of the many scattered tables and let out his own small sigh, watching Yuffie's hurriedly retreating form fade into the darkness of the night surrounding the restaurant.

If she'd only known.

x x x

At the same approximate time that the metal door of the Polar Eclipse slammed into place, glass quaking in its steel framing, Cloud had come to one final and solid decision.

"I think... I need more ice cream."

"But you've had three cones already..." Kairi started. She was shocked that the blonde chef was capable of packing so much ice cream away in his tiny figure. It was just simply... _inhuman_, dammit.

"Okay, okay. Okay. OKAY. Okay." Drumming his fingers against the table, Cloud's bottom lip was drawn into a pout, his eyebrows knitting together over big blue eyes as he thought and thought and thought. Finally, Cloud came to another groundbreaking decision. "OKAY!"

"Okay what? What's okay??"

"Okay. Okay, here's what's gonna happen. You, my fine femme friend, are going to take action! Tonight!"

During the past hour or so, Kairi had mentally come to her own conclusions as well. One of them revolved around the idea that Cloud was capable of becoming drunk off of sugar. Not just going into a sugar high, but flat out drunk. Tipsy. Floored. Smashed. Just drunk.

As her friend staggered to his feet, one hand waving around as the other came crashing down on the table in what was probably supposed to be a gesture of determination, Kairi could only find more and more evidence to back this one little belief up. Over and over again.

"I shall give you her address, fair lady! Hehehe! Then you can scamper on off to her apartment, appear in a blaze of glory and shiny... light... things... and profess your undying love to the lady Yuffie! It's shamshing!"

"...I'm going to assume you meant to say 'smashing' there..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Okay!" Whipping out a pen from his pocket, Cloud grabbed a napkin from the table and scrawled hurriedly on it before slapping it into Kairi's hand and grinning like a fool. "Then you guys can get hooked and have sex and be happy!"

"Cloud, I'm only sixteen.'

"Hahaha! You're so prude! I lost my virginity when I was fifteen!"

"I don't need to be hearing this!"

"You're right, m'lady. Hurry! There's not a moment to lose!"

With that, Cloud flew to the other side of the table, grabbing the back of Kairi's chair and whisking both girl and chair over towards to door, much to Kairi's alarm.

"Cloud, what are you--?!"

"Hurry! Hurry, hurry! You don't wanna keep it in anymore!"

"Okay, okay!" Half falling, half flying out of the spindly little chair, it was all Kairi could do to stifle her laughter as she faced Cloud, one hand resting on the door, the other clutching the napkin he'd so forcefully given her. "I'll go," she said with a smile.

"Yay!"

"But Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor."

"Sure!"

"Go back to the Polar Eclipse. Have Leon drive you home with him."

"Got it. Leon drives me all the way home."

"...Ye-ah." Pulse ringing in her ears, Kairi allowed herself a small chuckle as she pushed open the door with the last words of, "And thanks, Cloud."

"Never a problem! Have fun, kiddo!"

As the jingle of bells was engulfed by the atmosphere enclosed within the small ice cream parlor, one single solitary string of sound penetrated the thickness of it all. Clap, clap, clap, clap. Raising an eyebrow, Cloud slowly turned around to face the woman who stood behind the counter, clapping slowly and steadily, a small wry grin pulled across her faintly aged face.

"Huh. You sure can put up a pretty good act, bub. That's one hell of a sugar-high you faked."

"Yeah, well, I figured if I was eccentric enough... I dunno. Maybe she'd get caught up in the moment, right?"

x x x

_Lights sorta-but-not-noticeably dim? Check._

_ Couch pillows arranged neatly? Check._

_ Scented candle burning, hair brushed, perfume on... Check, check, check._

Yuffie had pulled on a worn pair of brown --tight, but not too tight-- pants and a black sweater, warm, soft, comfortable... Everything she could remember of Rinoa wrapped around her body in a pleasant snuggling embrace.

It was getting late outside, shadows cast every which way from the light of the streetlamps as they glowed merrily away, insects flitting about their radiance in drunken loops and zigzags. Had Yuffie not been so anxious, maybe she would have taken some sort of slight enjoyment from the entire display the night had to offer. But as it was, the footsteps down the hall chose that moment to draw closer, the doorbell chose that moment to ring, and Yuffie...

"Coming!"

Yuffie shot clear across the room, nearly colliding with the apartment door as she fumbled with the doorknob, sucking it a deep breath of air before pulling the wood towards her, trying to steel herself for the impact (not of the door, for once) of what stood across the other side.

"Hey Yuffie."

x x x

_Dussel, Dussel, Dussel... Oh, come on. I've been downtown tons of times... Where the hell is it?_

_ There!_

x x x

Perfect. A snapshot taken straight out of Yuffie's memory, Rinoa stood before her at that very moment as though not a day had gone passed and not a single thing had changed from one greeting to the other, one farewell to the next. Black hair hung down past her shoulder in straight and shining waves, a small smile pulling at the edges of the girl's mouth.

And really, it was all Yuffie could do to keep herself from clinging to the blast from the past standing in front of her. Instead, all she could do was squeak out something vaguely along the lines of "Rinoa!" and shuffle back and forth from foot to foot, her fingers dancing invisible patterns through the air. What do you do when you feel like you've been separated from someone for so long that you just want to fuse yourself to their body so they never go away again?

"You can hug me, I don't break."

And so that was what Yuffie did, pulling Rinoa in out of the hallway as she did so, a ridiculous grin on her face as the words tumbled out one right after another.

"I haven't seen you in forever! You look great! I mean, you always looked great. Haha, it's not like I was expecting you to look bad or anything, but really I just... I just... I've missed you!"

And then the pause...

"...Wait a sec. What the...?" Yuffie stood on her tiptoes and peered over Rinoa's shoulder, feeling and hearing the ghost of another sigh brush past her face as she did so. "...Rinoa, are you babysitting for a living? Because there is a **baby** in your backpack. ...Thing. Whatever this strange thingy on your back is."

"Yuffie... um... Do you think we could sit down for a minute?"

_...Why are you being so quiet?_

"Sure... Um... Okay." Yuffie motioned towards the overstuffed-yet-slightly-battered sofa tucked up against the wall, following Rinoa's example and plopping down amidst its cushions, rambling on as she did so. "I mean... It's okay if you're babysitting and all. It's not like it's a bad thing or anything. I mean, somebody's gotta do it and all."

"That's... what... I wanted to talk to you about."

_This isn't like you at all... What's wrong?_

"O-kaaay... Fire when ready?"

Rinoa gave her a small smile, sliding the straps of her 'backpack' off her shoulders and carefully setting it on the ground. Tucked within the safety belt and warm blanket of the pack slept a small figure, bundled in the traditionally oversized baby garments that were easy to come by. Fuzz of blonde hair, eyelashes light enough to be nearly invisible, tiny hands clutching at the soft fabric engulfing her small body.

Reaching down and gently unbuckling the straps that held the baby in place, Rinoa smiled as the closed eyelids fluttered open, brilliant green eyes blinking sleepily at the enormous world they found themselves in as Rinoa whispered, "Good morning, Ryo. This is Yuffie."

It was the sort of voice that Yuffie had heard in that once-upon-a-time place. It was so soft and yet so strong that it became simply indescribable. There was something beneath it that was too deep to gauge and too never-ending to measure. And as Rinoa lifted Ryo onto her lap and her eyes once again met Yuffie's, it began to fall into place...

"That's... that's... your... baby?"

One simple nod and the most radiant green Yuffie had ever seen. Not coming from one person, but two people who were so deeply intertwined that no logic could ever figure out their bond.

"Yeah. Ryo's my daughter."

x x x

_There's the apartment... Phew. Well... Aww man. It's getting late... No! Wait, wait! No! No turning back now. There. Flowers. I'll bring flowers. Who can say no to flowers? _

_ That's not the point._

_ What's the point?_

_ I'm stalling._

_ Stop stalling._

_ Get going!_

x x x

"...Oh... my... GOD."

Panic.

"No way! That's not-- Are you serious?! That's not even-- But we're-- There's no way we could have--"

"Yuffie, wait!"

"It doesn't make any sense! You're a... I'm a... There's no way we could have... Is she why you left?! Why didn't you tell me?! I don't even--"

"Yuffie!"

Silence, but still, panic. Panic rolling off of Yuffie, panic reflected in Rinoa's eyes, and a calm and curious wonder settling across Ryo's slight form, petite hands grasping at her clothing, small mouth jutting out into a pout. Absolute confusion, really, from everyone.

"I wanted to tell you, Yuffie... I just..."

"You just _what_?? Rinoa, you were **pregnant** and you didn't even--"

"Because I was scared, okay?!" Rinoa wrapped her arms securely around her daughter, pulling her close much like a small child would cling to a teddy bear or some such thing. "You were everything to me and I didn't want to lose you..."

"...When did... you... find out?"

"...A few months before we left."

"But we'd been together for almost a year by then."

"...I know."

"..." Yuffie's gaze dropped from Rinoa, who suddenly refused to meet her eyes. Instead, both of them focused on the bundle of sin in her lap, sweet and innocent, damned and hated, but absolutely oblivious to the turmoil she was causing. Ryo just crinkled her nose and scrunched up her face, not enjoying the silence and not enjoying the atmosphere in the room that crackled and exploded in tiny fits of misunderstanding and regret.

"I'm sorry."

"That's it?"

"...Yuffie, please..."

"Well what? Am I supposed to say it's okay now, I love you, you're forgiven? Is that what you really wanna hear, Rinoa??"

"No! I just want to even the score between us!"

"Is that why you're here??"

"Well isn't that why you're here?"

Yuffie's glare hardened and she folded her arms, her stare shooting off away from picture-perfect mother and daughter. "No. I came to get you back."

"I can't go back. Not to where we were before. Not now."

"Why??"

"Because I have her."

Once again, Ryo was the center of the picture. The missing little link Yuffie had been looking for so long and hadn't really wanted to find at all. Rinoa took a shaky deep breath and began to explain.

x x x

_God, how many stairs are there in this place? It just goes on and on_...

Sigh.

x x x

"You really meant everything to me Yuffie. When I started seeing you, it was like... I don't know. We just really fit together, you know? And I didn't want to ruin that. Please, please believe that, if nothing else. I never meant to destroy us and what we had.

"But it got to this point where... It felt like when I wasn't around you or when I couldn't be around you.... There was just this hole. And even sometimes when I was with you it wasn't enough. I know it was selfish and stupid and... God, I can't even begin. I know it was a horrible thing, but... It was just... I had this thinking where if I had you, I could have more. Because having more must have been a good thing... I don't know.

"Seifer was there. And... he... I knew he didn't love me. And I didn't love him. We still cared about each other and so we each wanted to see the other happy... I guess we thought it was the only way to do that. And I'm sorry I cut you up in the process."

"You cheated on me with Seifer?"

"I'm sorry."

"So you... Wait." Yuffie groaned, squeezing her eyes shut tight and rubbing her temples as she tried to sort it all out. Go away, go away, go away. Give me back my Rinoa... "You were going out with me and you were sleeping with me while you were sleeping with Seifer. And somewhere along the way...?"

"Ryo."

"...An accident?"

"You could call her that, but I'd sort of rather you... not." Offering a hesitant small smile that, sadly, was unreturned, Rinoa heaved a small sigh and continued, playing with the stray fibers of Ryo's small fleece blanket. "When I found out Seifer was leaving, I didn't know if I was happy or sad. Him leaving would mean I could stop what I was doing with him and be faithful to you, but... Then I found out about Ryo.

"I didn't want her to grow up wondering who her father was. That's... just no way for a kid to grow up, you know? So that's why I left with him when he got this job offer from Sephiroth."

"And Cloud..."

"He's Ryo's babysitter."

_At that, Cloud couldn't help himself. He made a sour face and spat, "You're not my mother, Leon! I'm allowed to go--"_

_"I'm not finished. Shut up." Cloud did. __Leon__ continued. "You say all these things about how much you care and how much love you have. But then you're off with... Sephiroth within the hour." Leon had to force his voice into submission, refusing to let his manner give into the sadness that had been gnawing away at some part of him for quite some time. "You expect me to take you seriously, but how can I when you do all that?"_

_ "__Leon__, there's **nothing** there between Sephiroth and--"_

_ "Then what is it?!" __Leon__ exclaimed, his control fraying and becoming tattered, swallowing as he tried to continue in a more calm and collected tone. "What is it then, Cloud? What makes you run away and then snarl and hiss at me for doing the same?"_

_ "If I tell you... You can't tell anyone, __Leon__. I mean it. Everyone'll flip if they find out and it really won't be good..." _

"...Oh."

Silence swallowed the room whole. Ryo waited patiently and had Yuffie not been suddenly weighted down by so many things, she would have wondered how such a quiet and calm baby could ever exist on the face of the earth. Instead, she asked, "Why Seifer?"

"...What?"

"Why him? Why couldn't you stay with me? Why couldn't you get an abortion?? Why didn't you have Ryo and put her up for adoption? Why did you go through with all this??" _Why aren't you mine anymore?!_

"Because... Ryo... She... she's the person who filled that empty spot." Rinoa shrugged slightly, smiling down at her tiny daughter who, in turn, gave Yuffie a small baby smile, lacking in teeth and lacking the terms of a full-blown grin, but a smile nonetheless. "I can't really explain it. She just... I don't think there's any kind of feeling that runs deeper than this. It's not passion or love or... I don't know. I don't know what it is. I can't even describe it.

"Ryo is the person who makes my life stable so I'm not running around like crazy anymore. I know you don't want children, Yuffie, so don't even start." She grinned, almost close to a small chuckle, pearly teeth gleaming in the warm glow coming from the ceiling light of Yuffie's apartment. "You're you, Yuffie. You aren't the type of person who should be tied down to kids. Not yet."

x x x

_Two-twenty-six..._

_ Two-twenty-seven..._

_ Two-twenty-eight..._

x x x

"And what about Kairi? Cloud's told me about her..." Rinoa looked up to see Yuffie's reaction. She wanted to find the telltale blush, the small and possibly timid smile if she was lucky. She wanted to see Yuffie happy again and she wanted to know that the other girl would get back up and recover from everything that she'd suddenly discovered.

But what she found was quite the opposite.

x x x

_Here it-- _

_ Huh?_

_ ...The door's... open..._

x x x

"I don't **care** about Kairi, dammit! _Why_ would people think that? She is my _friend_, she is... she's... She's _Kairi_! What I have for her is a _crush_, Rinoa. It is a **stupid**, silly little _crush_. It's the type of feeling kids get for one another and they tell secrets about it and _giggle_ and _laugh_ about it. What I feel for you is fucking love. There is a **huge** difference and for some reason neither you nor anyone else seems to get it. So let me make it simple. I. LOVED. YOU. I don't know if I still _can_ or if I still _do_ or if I ever, _ever_ will want to again, but I _did_! It was _there_ and it was _real_ and whatever is between Kairi and me...

"Whatever that is, it is **not REAL**!"

Tears brimming in her eyes and palms stinging from the fingernails that bit through the flesh, hands clenched painfully into fists, Yuffie finally finished. Damn did it hurt like hell, but it was out. Finally, it was all gone. _That must have been the most painful fifteen minutes of my entire life. _

And yet no sooner was it all over and the scars had already begun the slow process of healing...

"Yuffie..."

All it took was one look at Rinoa and a turn of the head, following her shocked gaze. All it took was a glance at the white-sneaker-clad feet, the jeans, the tanktop, the tips of auburn hair, and the face of a person who had just had their heart blown into a million little bits and pieces.

_I know that expression..._

_ Wait..._

_ I know that face._

"Kairi, wait!"

But fate being what it was, she was already gone. And fate being what it was, by the time Yuffie had even reached her apartment door, the slam of the door from the apartment lobby had already reached her ears.

x x x

_It's cold..._

_ It's dark..._

_ I wish I was home..._

_ "Kairi, where have you been?!"_

_ "We were worried sick about you!"_

_ "I thought you were more responsible than that."_

_ "What have you been doing?"_

_ "When did you get out of work?"_

_ "Where did you go?"_

_ "What did you do?"_

_ "Who were you with?"_

_ "GO TO YOUR ROOM."_

_ I wonder why it hurts so much?_

(x) (x) (x)

Okay, so. First of all, I'd like to explain why I've been gone for the past million weeks. I'll keep it short and simple. I broke my fingers and couldn't type, then when I could it either hurt too much or I made too many mistakes and just got frustrated as hell. But now they're almost completely healed and I'm back. So ta da!

Soooo... feedback anyone? ...Anyone surprised or anything? Shock, sympathy... something?

--Ori


	13. Time Lapse

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Time Lapse'

"Alright then. Let's begin."

A large hand came down gently but swiftly, striking the top of the timer and setting off a steady click, click, click rhythm that would last another hour and a half.

"...Um..."

"Don't be shy now." Steady eyes peered at her from across the desk, sheltered behind tiny specs that perched on the doctor's nose. "Pick up from where we last left off, Kairi."

Another moment's hesitation passed by before Kairi raised an eyebrow, staring at the ceiling from her position on the low-seated sofa. _I bet that if I try hard enough, I can make all those little dots on the ceiling turn into shapes and animals._

"Well..."

_A whale..._

_ A bunny..._

"I guess that was really..."

_A spider..._

"The last time I saw her."

_Not a spider..._

"Yuffie, I mean."

_A tarantula._

x x x

"Holy SHIT!" A customary silence fell over the front of the restaurant, the lone waitress present looking up from her tables as pots, pans, and plates clattered to the floor from the kitchen.

"That's not a fucking spider! It's a fucking tarantula!"

"Cloud, calm down."

"AHHHHH! KILL IT, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

"Cloud--!"

"Eeeeee!"

"Put it down, Cloud, you'll break--!"

"Fuck!"

Smash. Shatter. Bang.

"THAT IS IT! Out! Get OUT! You're FIRED!"

"I'm not fired, you pompous sonuva--"

"Don't you even--"

That was standard procedure in the Eclipse. And Aerith knew that in five minutes Leon and Cloud would have everything patched up between them and all would be back to normal. No, it wasn't this that worried her. This never worried her. The thing that worried Aerith was Yuffie, bursting into the restaurant, clad in a pair of worn jeans and a baggy orange sweatshirt, striding determinedly toward the kitchen.

_Not even a hello...?_

"Don't even tell me. Kairi's called in sick today, hasn't she?"

"Yep."

"And don't even tell me. You're mad at me, aren't you."

"Yep."

Cloud stood in front of the massive stove in the kitchen of the Polar Eclipse, spatula in on hand as he prodded at the pancakes on the pan experimentally. Off to the side was Leon, leaning against the wall and pretending to read the newspaper. _Damn faker. He's listening to every single word I'm saying._ And really, he was. Not even Leon was in a sad enough state to be reading the tiny little newspaper Destiny Islands had going for it.

"And you too, Leon? Do you think I'm--?"

"Yes."

"UGH."

"To give your ego a rest, Yuffie, Kairi actually did sound sick on the phone." Flip, flip, flip. One hand on his hip and the other busy flipping pancakes, Cloud let out an exasperated sigh. "You honestly think that her world revolves around you?"

"Could you knock it _off_ already?! It was an accident."

"You don't accidentally destroy some little girl's heart, you frigid bitch!"

"_Yeah_?! Well you don't exactly go _telling_ her to go profess her fucking love to someone who doesn't even want it in the _first_ place, either!"

"You led her on, didn't you?!"

"I _swear_, if you don't shut up I'm going to--"

"What, are you going to tear up _my_ feelings with a pair of rusty scissors and eat _them_ too?!"

"No, but I'll gladly take that stupid spatula and ram it **so** far up your--"

"And we're done now." Leon stepped forward, whacking Cloud with a rolled up newspaper and giving them both a rather weary and exhausted look. Yuffie glared and crossed her arms, Cloud sniffed and turned back to his stove and everything appeared to be... Horribly and utterly wrong. Leon felt that he should have seen it coming. By letting Yuffie go to meet Rinoa and by letting Cloud have the chance to talk to Kairi one-on-one and fill her mind with all his crazy romantic thoughts, there could only have been disaster.

The kitchen was eerily silent for several minutes, the only sound coming from the occasional _schhht-flop_ of Cloud flipping pancakes. Yuffie seemed to have her gaze fixed steadily on a wall and Leon seemed to be mentally debating whether or not he really wanted to ask her to go back to work. It wasn't really fair to Aerith and Tifa to have to do all the work, after all...

"Yuffie, maybe you should go see if anyone out front needs a refill of--"

"I quit."

"...What?"

"I'm quitting. I'd like to give you two weeks' notice, but this is all you get. I'm done. I'll see you later."

And just like that, Yuffie brushed through the beaded curtain of snowflakes, intent on leaving the restaurant for the last time in one final burst of a temper and a fed-up attitude. But the rustle of beads clicking against one another brought about the warning that someone had a different idea. Pushing through the front door of the Polar Eclipse, not even daring to look back, Yuffie could only glare as she heard the footsteps behind her.

"Yuffie--"

"Cloud, could you just GO AWAY?!"

"Um..." Rinoa blinked back at her in confusion, Yuffie's mouth hanging open. ...Well. That was... possibly slightly uncalled for.

"Sorry. I thought you were... Yeah."

"Yuffie, wait."

"Mm?"

"What is going _on_ with you?" Rinoa simply shook her head and gave Yuffie a look of simple disbelief. It was either disbelief because Rinoa couldn't believe Yuffie could be so dumb... or it was disbelief because Rinoa... well... because Rinoa couldn't believe Yuffie could be such a bitch. Not much of a difference between the two, but a difference nonetheless.

"I mean... Okay, explain this to me. You say you really love me and care about me, but you lock yourself in your room after a little outburst that this girl overheard. This girl who you say you _don't_ love, but... I'm just not getting it. Run it by me again, would you?"

"Cut it out, Rinoa. There's nothing to explain. Some things just get really fucked up and there's nothing you can do about it."

Yuffie started walking again, sharply turning her back on Rinoa and starting off once more down the road, hands in the pockets of her jeans and walking like nothing would get in her way. And anything that did? Well, it would hopefully rest in peace after meeting a rather gory end.

"But there _is_ something you do about it!" Rinoa refused to be dismissed that easily, tagging along as Yuffie walked along, her hands waving in the air as she frantically tried to get her point across. "God, Yuffie! That girl is at home crying because of you and you know it! You messed up, okay. Wait, no, alright. You _really_ fucked up. Big time. But you can fix it..." But Yuffie kept right on walking and Rinoa practically had to jog to keep up, letting out an exasperated sigh and asking, "Why did you just quit your job?"

"Because I'm not staying here." A bus stop was where Yuffie finally slowed to a halt, her gaze firmly situated somewhere off in space, hovering just above the ground and just below the sky. That was where she would wait. And apparently, that was where Rinoa would wait with her.

Whether she liked it or not.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"...Sooo, where are you going?"

"I don't know. Somewhere really fucking cold."

"Oh. Well that's nice."

"Mm."

"Yuffie."

"What."

"It's okay to feel that way about her... I'm not mad or anything. Actually, I'm really happy for--"

x x x

"Hey-hey!"

Kairi stood blinking confusedly at the absurd sight before her, doorknob clutched in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of her completely-too-pink bathrobe. What the hell...?

"Well are you gonna let me in or what?" Cloud asked, his eyes pleading and his mouth tugging downwards into a small pout.

"My parents aren't home, Cloud. If they found out--"

"Then they'd think you were straight and they'd be more delighted than you could imagine. Look, I brought soup!"

"...Well, I was sort of hoping that was what was in the thermos you were clutching..."

Moving in as Kairi stepped aside for him to do so, Cloud laughed and waved one hand carelessly in the air, dismissing the idea with a sarcastic "Yeah, I spiked it so you're gonna get **totally** sloshed tonight, Kairi-baby!" After a pause, Cloud blinked and added, "These words? They get repeated to no one."

Kairi simply smiled, rolled her eyes, and led Cloud into the kitchen. After spending fifteen minutes drooling over her mother's cooking utensils, Cloud finally managed to get the soup from thermos to pot with very little trouble. And as an unnaturally tempting aroma drifted upwards from the kitchen, Kairi did exactly as Cloud had ordered her to right after he'd finished admiring an assortment of spatulas.

She sat in her bed, covers pulled up to her chin, look rather pathetic and sad, really.

"Heeeere we go! Soup is here and you've got choices, choices, choices! Granted, these are all from your fridge, but I'm sure it's legal for you to have a little wine as a pick-me-up..."

"Cloud...."

"Haha! Kidding! See? It's grape juice! And then there's apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, strawberry-kiwi... It's _amazing_ how many types of juice you've got in that fridge of yours! You should really have a look at 'em!" This was received by a rather blank stare from Kairi that, if put into words and phrases, would have probably assembled something wavering between 'You're completely insane and I don't know why you're in my bedroom' and 'I'm too exhausted to deal with this, but I'm wondering if I have the heart to kick you out.'

After realizing that it was going to be difficult to pull laughs out of Kairi that night, Cloud let out a small sigh and set the table-tray full of food down on the bed, perching on the edge beside it. It was then that he realized that he'd never been in a girl's room before. _...Whoa_.

The posters of rock, pop, and alternative singers adorned the walls, of course. Stacks of CDs, rows of DVDs, an open closet full of clothing. Book shelf overflowing with book after book, glow-in-the-dark stars tacked up on the ceiling, stickers plastered all over the back of the door, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, throws... and **so** many shoes.

Of course, it was _then _that Cloud realized that his own room was no different from a girl's room. And somehow he wasn't really surprised. _Well that just sucked the fun right out of it, dammit._

_...Back on track now._

"Kairi... Are you okay?" Cloud shifted slightly on the bed, trying to get a better look at Kairi's face, but failing anyway. Bangs slid easily down over her face as Kairi lifted the tray of food and gently set it in her lap before quietly stirring the bowl of soup with the little silver spoon that had been laid neatly beside it. It took a few moments, but finally Kairi raised her head from the tray of food and offered Cloud a little smile.

"Yeah. Little sick, but..."

"I'm not _that_ uninformed, thank you. I know about what happened last night."

"...Does the whole world know?"

"Just the world that needs to." Cloud grinned feebly and shrugged, drumming his fingers against the quilt that covered the bed. He should have been used to it by then... comforting girls, that is. But something felt different here. Normally the situations were silly stupid things that just upset girls for no reason. It was easy to console them... just make them laugh and they would get over it, right? But this was different. This was a real problem. And Cloud... didn't really _know_ what to do. "But are you alright? I mean..."

_Come on, think here... I can do this..._

"Kairi, the things Yuffie said... She didn't mean them. You know that."

"She's allowed to say and think and feel whatever she wants. If she doesn't feel the same way then I respect that." Kairi looked pointedly at Cloud, suddenly striking him as being outrageously mature and controlled for a teenager. _...Jeeze. That's just damn unnerving. I hope it doesn't happen again._

Thankfully, it didn't. And Cloud continued to plow ahead at full force as best he could.

"Aww listen to you! You're talking crazy now, all weird and psycho-analyze-ie! You must really be sick, huh?"

"I guess."

"...Kairi, Yuffie cares about you. I don't know if you-- if _either_ of you-- know it or not, but she does. I think she's just wondering if she really wants to get involved any further. I mean.... It was just that Rinoa..." Cloud tried frantically to keep his hold on the small ledge he'd found in his train of thought, but already he was rapidly starting to slide down the metaphorical ski slope. Well damn. Just damn. But slip as slide as he might, Cloud wasn't going to give up. "Everything just sort of happened at the wrong time in the wrong place."

And evidently, Kairi wasn't going to give up either.

"This soup is really good."

"Really? Thanks!" Cloud beamed with pride, just about to launch into the nitty-gritty details of soup preparation before.... _...Oh, hold on..._ "...Wait a minute, was that a feeble attempt to change topics?"

"...Maybe?"

"That's such a straight girl thing to do. I expected better from you." Unable to keep it in any longer, Kairi burst into laughter, causing the tray in her lap to jostle slightly and nearly tip over the glass of orange juice resting on top of it along with the soup. Cloud simply grinned and chuckled, blue eyes gleaming with accomplishment. "Good, good! Laughing is good! But if you told me what it was you were thinking, I guarantee you that you'd feel ten times better."

"I don't even think **I** really know what I'm thinking." Upon receiving a puzzled glance from Cloud, Kairi shot him an apologetic smile before shrugging. "No idea... just sort of this icky feeling that doesn't really sting or hurt like it did last night. It's just sort of... there."

"Kairi, do you think I have a chance with Leon anymore?"

_...Who's changing topics **now**, Cloud?_

"Ah... um... I... don't really know... Maybe he's just--"

"Because sometimes things just don't work out." Cloud bit down hard on his bottom lip a moment before hesitantly continuing, "Because maybe it's not that they weren't supposed to happen. Maybe we're all supposed to be together and be happy, but we're not. And maybe that's just the way it's going to be. Do you believe that? Would you believe that?"

And when Kairi thought about it... when she really, truly thought about it... all she could do was frown slightly and give a small nod.

"...Damn. I was sort of hoping you wouldn't." _Well, I think she should know. ... I think she **has** to know. _Cloud paused a moment and took a deep breath, steeling himself for the inevitable."Yuffie quit."

"What?"

"She quit her job at the Eclipse."

"Why?!"

"I don't know. She's being stupid."

"But... Well, where's she gonna work now??"

"...I..." _Hmm... _"Um..." _I hadn't thought of that... _"Not sure. If she can't find a job and gets kicked out on the streets, she had it coming."

"But Cloud..." Kairi's eyes turned to him then, large and pleading and simply begging for an explanation that just wasn't there. "She's our friend. We can't just let her do something dumb like this..."

"Hon, you don't know Yuffie like I know Yuffie. I know you want to believe she's smart enough to do the right thing, but... Really, none of us are." Cloud gave Kairi what he had hoped would be a reassuring smile, but it fell flat and came off as being sad instead of inspiring. "She's made a lot of mistakes and a lot of people have, in turn, made mistakes that turned out to have pretty nasty consequences for her. It's no one's fault though, Kairi. Some things just... happen."

And then Cloud was floored as he realized one very small little detail that really just shot the life out of his little fragile heart.

"Aww, Kairi... Don't cry!"

"I'm... not crying..."

"...You're making me cry!"

"Y-you're not supposed to b-be crying... You're the damn _boy_!"

x x x

While some of the inhabitants of Destiny Islands had curled up on themselves, wallowing in their own seemingly sad little existences, others had not. As Cloud had so plainly put it, some things just happen. And it just so happened that while Cloud and Kairi were bawling and laughing and choking and trying in vain to cheer each other up, one particular girl sat in one particular little boat by one particular outcropping island.

And she thought she was alone.

It was because she thought that she was alone that Yuffie decided to think in the first place.

_Okay... _

_ Rinoa has a right to live her own life. They're her choices and I don't control them. Yeah... Okay..._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Yuffie screamed until her voice cracked sharply, her throat searing with the sharp burn that can only be caused from ripping vocal cords to pieces... all just let loose a little pent up frustration. Fingers clutched at her hair, her eyes blocked out the fading sunlight, her breath came out ragged and her mind was reeling and jumping, teasing her with its fragmented little musings.

'Yeah, Rinoa made a little mess up. But she's made up for it. She's happy where she is. Look at **you**.'

"I'm happy..."

"Like hell."

"Huh?!"

The girl who thought she was alone was in for a nasty little shock as she opened her eyes, nearly blinded by the last glimmer of sun as it hung just above the horizon. Blinking several times to fix her frazzled vision, Yuffie was finally able to decipher the shadow blocking out the sun.

"You sure aren't very good at hiding with all the screaming and everything," Rinoa said, unable to keep a smile off her face. There she'd been, walking along the shore of the tiny little island, convinced that it was just some stupid wild goose chase that Leon had sent her off on. _Heh. And if I hadn't been worried about being secretive, I could've used this little dock and found her right away. Imagine that._

"Don't you have a baby to be taking care of?" Yuffie asked sourly.

"Cloud's taking care of Ryo. It's what we pay him for."

"He's not a damn babysitter! He doesn't have to do that for the money!"

Rinoa frowned slightly, casting a puzzled glance over Yuffie. "Yuffie, we pay him, but he doesn't _do_ it for the money. He does it because he's my friend and I ask him to. Besides, he's good with kids."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah. I think it's because they have similar thinking patterns or something."

Just as Rinoa had hoped, her statement drew a small giggle from Yuffie, loosening the tension in the air between them. Swinging her legs over the side of the dock, Rinoa sat down and was content to simply lounge there and admire the sun that hung just above the water, orange and red streaks jetting out in all directions as it began it's eternal downward descent. She was content, yes, but only for a moment.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on? Cloud said..." Interrupted by a snort of disdain from the skinny girl being bobbed up and down in the boat below her, Rinoa let out a wisp of a sigh and shook her head before shooting Yuffie a cold stare, one she'd obviously picked up from Leon. "Yuffie, what are you _doing_?"

"I don't know."

The answer wasn't enough to satisfy Rinoa and Yuffie knew it. There were some things that one was simply expected to know. For example, if a person was asked why they suddenly chose to quit their job and simply give up on life in general... well, they'd better have a damn good reason. As far as Yuffie could see, she had no reason, good or bad. So she simply did the best she could. She thought out loud.

"...Remember when we used to be afraid of stupid things? Like hearing noises when we were all alone or walking across the hallways in the dark? ...It feels like I'm starting to miss being afraid of those. Instead I'm afraid of losing people forever. I'm afraid of hurting her so much because I already have..." Yuffie's nails scratched idly at the flecks of paint that had chipped off of the old wooden boat, giving Rinoa a wry grin, but refusing to raise her head. "Kinda dumb, but I'd give anything to have my pathetic little kid fears back."

Rinoa shook her head and suddenly leapt to her feet, her dainty hands making tight fights at her sides and she exclaimed, "Yuffie, you can still fix it! I don't get how quitting your job is going to do any of the fixing... But I'm sure--" She was cut off again by something Yuffie uttered, but it was washed out by her own voice and the lapping of the ocean waves against the bottom of the dock "What was that?"

"I said 'please stop.'"

One look at Yuffie and Rinoa blinked before her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. This was just too hard... this was just too strange. Yuffie was never one to stew in her own bad situation. No, it was Yuffie who was supposed to leap into action and cheer the rest of the world up. Yuffie... who was always supposed to merrily volunteer to carry the world on her shoulders. So what had happened? What had gone so wrong that Yuffie's back and been broken and nothing, absolutely nothing would rest on her shoulders anymore without causing her to wail?

It was melodrama. That was the only explanation. And it was pissing Rinoa off.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not asking for your help, Rinoa! You mess things up too, remember? You mess up **really** bad! I don't want your stupid help!"

Rinoa pouted, staring at the weathered planks of the dock. Yuffie scowled, staring at the old floor of the boat she sat in. Neither wanted the other to say anything, but neither really felt like saying much either. But Rinoa was hell-bent on kicking Yuffie back into the old girl she'd known. She fished around in the large pocket of her duster a moment before pulling out a small wrapped object and tossing it easily towards Yuffie who simply held out her hands and caught it with ease.

"...Here," Rinoa said, watching as Yuffie carefully and slowly unwrapped the little package, a numb look on her face. Cocking her head to the side, she could only gape at the small yellow fruit as Rinoa continued. "I heard about them a few months ago."

"What am I supposed to do with a paopu fruit?"

"I don't know. Share it with someone special." Rinoa gave the other girl a small smile. She watched Yuffie closely, seeing the fingertips dance over the lightly fuzzed surface of the fruit, pulling gently at the green stem and leaf that still clung to the top. Around the five pointed edges, up and over the slight dips and bumps, taking in every detail as though it was the most critical piece of art on the face of the earth, one that had to be experienced over and over again to be fully understood.

And then Yuffie cradled the paopu lovingly in one hand... before reeling that very hand back as far as it would go and flinging the fruit straight into the ocean.

"..."

"..."

"Well that's nice. That's productive." Even Rinoa had a breaking point with her patience and things had certainly pushed and stabbed at this point. By then it was not only broken, but it was severely shattered. She shook her head and simply turned away, ready to just storm out of Yuffie's life again if the other girl was insisting on acting like such a baby. But there was one thing that kept her rooted to the spot. One thing that still pulled at Rinoa's heart in such a way that she'd never be able to desert Yuffie like she really wanted to.

"...Yuffie? What...?"

"..."

"Hey, hey, stop crying..."

"..."

"Yuffie..." Rinoa cautiously stretched one leg out and tapped the inside of the boat with her foot, checking to make sure she wouldn't end up flipping both of them over into the water if she tried to get in. Hoping it'd be good enough, Rinoa slipped into the boat, stilling as it bucked and jolted under the added weight and change in balance, but finally calming down back into a gentle swish and sway that went along with the ocean waves.

"Listen, I know you're not happy... And I know that it's probably mostly my fault, but... Yuffie, doing this to Kairi isn't doing anyone any good. You're only hurting both of you..." She reached out a hand to try and comfort Yuffie. There was nothing else she could do but try, in this case. And really, the only other thing she could ever do was just to hope the trying would work.

But it didn't. Not that time.

"That's why I--"

x x x

"...Or at least, that's what I've been told."

Kairi was no longer seated on the overly cushioned sofa. She stood off to one side of the room, running her fingers over the spines of the many books lining the shelves of the bookcases lining the office. It was one of those places that just had bad news written all over, really. One of those places that, the very moment you set foot in it, just bored you straight out of your mind. And then some.

"Alright. That's fine, just fine. But how does this make you feel, Kairi?"

_Blegh, there he goes again._

"Well, I guess it makes me feel lifeless, Doctor. Truly it does. I believe I am _in_visible and _un_loveable. The fact that Yuffie left me so long ago-- nearly three years, sir-- the fact that I was deserted at such a vulnerable state, having just discovered my sexual orientation..." Heaving a dramatic sigh, Kairi splayed a hand over her heart and continued solemnly. "It simply tears me to pieces. I believe it is this one event that leads most to my troubled life today. I have a low self-esteem and often find myself wallowing in self pity. In fact, just the other day I contemplated suicide after getting two abortions and running into my mother who'd left my father when I was three, as you know."

Eyes nearly popping out of his head as he scribbled furiously away at his notepad, the man seated behind the desk nodded frantically, questioning, "And where was this, Kairi? Where did you meet your mother? The carousel by your grandfather's grave? Was that it? You said you go there quite often..."

"No, no, Doctor. Actually, it was just outside the supermarket."

"The supermarket??"

"Yes, the supermarket."

"Do you hold any resentment to supermarkets lately as a result, do you think?"

Kairi let out a small gasp of surprise and turned away from the books suddenly, her mouth forming a perfect little 'o.' "I think you may be right! Why, I'd never realized it before, but I am afraid of the produce section in the store! I can't believe I'd never thought of it!"

With a resounding '_ding_!' the alarm on the desk went off, the psychiatrist quieting the shrill ring with another tap of his hand on the button. Smiling and nodding all the while, he said, "This was an excellent session as always, Kairi. It never ceases to amaze me how open you are to professional care. Certainly a nice break from many of my other patients. I look forward to next week's session... a... Wednesday? The third? Does that work for you?"

Kairi nodded, gathering her coat, hat, and purse from where they'd sat discarded for the past ninety minutes. With a sweet smile, she nodded happily before slipping the black suede cap over her auburn hair.

"I think that will work just splendidly, Doctor. Thank you so very much."

"Always a pleasure, Kairi. See you next week."

Destiny Islands never got 'cold' in the winter. Fifty degrees was the coldest it got, and though many people from more northern locations scoffed at the average winter temperature on the balmy island chain, the island's own inhabitants found this weather freezing cold nonetheless.

So Kairi wandered the streets of the downtown area, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket and hat firmly on her head, her purse hanging over one shoulder as she headed towards the nearest bus stop.

The truth was... and 'truth' was a very funny word to use, things being as they were... Kairi had no need to see the doctor that she did. In fact, the only reason she continued her weekly sessions there was to keep the doctor himself happy. Everyone needs to feel needed at some point, and dealing with silent moody teenagers whose parents _forced_ them to come... and dealing with parents who didn't _want_ to come, but who felt they had no other choice in life... well, that was certainly no easy way to feel needed.

In short, Kairi was the rest stop on a road of never-ending angst and under-appreciated consolation. It was something she prided herself for, but something that nonetheless chiseled away at her conscience day by day.

Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve... wouldn't it? Was it that late already?

Kairi cocked her head to one side, surveying the list of bus times posted at the stop. Just missed the last one... Shit. Realizing it would be faster to walk, Kairi started off towards her apartment, though time was definitely not an issue. There was no one there to get back to, no holiday calls to make or receive. No tree undecorated, no fireplace begging for a spark or flame.

It was Christmas again, no different from last year's.

_I'll get my little visit from Riku and Sora on Christmas morning. They'll be happy and excited because they're always happy and excited_... But rather than feeling nostalgic and left out, Kairi smiled. She would walk down to the pier and see everyone from the Eclipse tomorrow and all would be perfectly sweet and happy.

Still smiling, Kairi strolled down the sidewalk, feeling the steady slap of her sneakers against the sidewalk. She wasn't depressed nor was she lacking in self-confidence. She was good old normal Kairi, lacking in several aspects of life in general, but definitely no worse off than anyone else.

And when she did have the time and the patience to allow just a little self-pity to mix into the scheme of things, she couldn't help but wonder...

_Yuffie, what are you up to now? _

_ Are you with some girl in some northern stretch of who-knows-where? Are you sitting close together by a fire and roasting marshmallows, talking in low voices about the things you plan to do tomorrow? Are you waiting tables in a run-down old restaurant just outside the big city, or are you spinning disks at a local dance joint? Are you taller, are you thinner? Are you happy?_

_ And do you ever wonder about me the way I wonder about you?_

(x) (x) (x)

Yay! Nice long chapter for you here. And guess what the next chapter is? The end! XD I'm thinking this fic won't need an epilogue, but this ending might get to being a little choppy in order to get all the little short snippets I want in there. That should be posted today or tomorrow. And the finished product of RH will be my holiday present to all of you... and then I'll be taking the rest of the year off to figure out Lucky Thirteen's plot _and_ to also start plotting out a new fic.

So I'll see you all next year with a brand new fic, probably something similar to RH. And by similar I mean containing more of the rare Kingdom Hearts shoujo-ai, for those of you who enjoyed it here. Happy holidays, everyone!

--Ori


	14. Down Here in Heaven

**Raspberry Heaven**

'Down Here in Heaven'

There are days that come through people's lives without notice. They enter, they spend their time, they wear their welcome, and then they leave. All goes by silently and everything runs as it normally does. These days prove that humans are truly dull and uninteresting creatures that are simply too ignorant to acknowledge that fact.

It was on one of these days (Christmas Eve, to be precise) that Kairi rolled out of her bed and promptly forgot to stick her feet out to catch her.

_Wham_.

And it was at that moment, lying on the ground, eyes wide open, staring up at her ceiling with a vacant expression on her face --_I bet that if I try hard enough, I can make all those little dots on the ceiling turn into shapes and animals_-- that Kairi realized that _that_ day was going to be an extraordinary day.

Or perhaps she was simply determined to make it so just to spite her ill fortune.

Nonetheless, as Kairi pulled herself to her feet and wandered across the narrow hallway of her apartment towards the bathroom for her daily ritual of shower, brush teeth, apply makeup, the rest of the world began to wake up. And backing out of her apartment window and taking to the air for just a brief moment, it became clear that everyone on the island that day shared the same determination to make it an exceptional day. After all, it was Christmas Eve.

Children everyone were running outside to start their games, sprint down to the beach and make sandcastles, though it was much too cold for swimming. Their parents, native to the island's and hating the cool temperatures, trundled along behind them calling out their customary warnings of "Watch for traffic!" or "Stop throwing sand!" ...And despite all this normalcy, it was indeed a different day, I assure you.

It was Christmas Eve.

"It's Christmas Eve!"

Leon's eyes snapped open as he felt his mattress leap into the air and slam back down onto the bed-frame, walls shuddering, mirror clicking warily against the wall. And one spiky blonde mass of hair appearing just in his line of foggy sleep-clouded vision, a grin of a thousand watts drilling into his newly awakened brain.

"... What are you doing...?"

"Gooooood morning, Squally! Time to get up, time to get up! I'll make us pancakes!"

"Nngh. Go away." Leon's words were muffled as he groggily tugged a pillow over his face and attempted to go back to sleep. The Polar Eclipse was closed for the day. Couldn't he get some rest?

"No!" Hands wrapping around ankles. "Get up!" _Oh no_.

All it took was one sharp tug and Leon was flying out of the bed, landing in a tangled heap of sheets, quilts, and pillows on his bedroom floor. And directly below him was none other than...

"Cloud..." Leon hissed.

"Mornin'!"

And across the street...

"Good morning, Tidus!"

"Selphie! It's--!"

"Christmas Eve!"

"Yay!"

Down by the beach...

"Bryna, fancy meeting you here."

"Well, you know, Sora's off with Riku already. No idea where those two wandered off to, so I figured I'd just..."

At the supermarket...

"Oh really? You don't say."

"Why yes. And just yesterday she says she saw her mother right here at this very store."

"_Really_? The one who divorced her poor father --may he rest in peace-- all those years ago? You _don't say_."

"Oh, but I _do_. Could you hand me that head of lettuce? Yes, that one. Thank you."

Everyone was awake and everyone was eagerly bustling about, ready to kick start their day. And down by the docks, the ferry came in, loaded with countless holiday passengers, all burdened down with their own masses of wrapped gifts and packages. As they stepped off the docks, their feet met the planks and they exchanged puzzled looks, all thinking the same thing.

_But I thought she said it would be awfully cold here?_

_ He said it was wicked this time of year..._

_ This is just balmy._

All of them thinking the same thing... That is, all but one.

_Where do I begin...?_

It was Christmas Eve.

And it was going to be an extraordinary day.

x x x

Breathing in the sweet salty smell of the islands, Kairi grinned and stepped down from the stairs that led up to the apartment complex. All around her were throngs of people, bustling about in a not-so-normal manner and smiling more that was usually the case. This was something perfect that belonged in scrapbooks and video tapes, but it would just have to satisfy itself with being tucked away in her memory.

x x x

"I don't get it."

"What's not to get?"

"Why are we having _soup_ for breakfast on Christmas Eve?" Cloud asked numbly, draped over the dining room table and scowling heatedly at his boyfriend. The only plus that had come with buying a house of their own was the fact that it came with a dining room separate from the kitchen. Which meant that at that particular moment, Leon couldn't catch hold of the look Cloud threw him. ...Not that he didn't know it was there.

"Because I made it."

"I make lots of things **you** don't eat."

"Yes, but you make lots of things period."

Cloud grinned wickedly and added in, "Is that implying anything, my dear boy?"

"No. It's not. Now if you don't get off the table, _my dear boy_, I'm going to slap this pot of soup right on your dear _head_."

"Feisty, feisty. Sheesh." Try as he might to hold a grudge, even Cloud couldn't deny the fact that the aroma of the soup was nothing short of mouth-watering. Though not much could be said for the appearance of the food (for having a look of tomato soup never made anything really astonishing), Cloud new better than to judge food by its appearance.

"Today, why don't you just try to sit back for once and not ping off the walls, alright?"

"...Can I eat my soup now?"

"No there are rules."

"_Rules_?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"...No. I'm not."

x x x

"Riku..."

Grinning from ear to ear, Riku watched as Sora's eyes lit up so bright that they could easily outshine the sun. It was that smile and those eyes that made Sora simply irresistible. But it was his adorable personality and cute charm that made him Sora. Correction-- that made him _Riku's_ Sora.

"It's beautiful..."

"I thought you might like it."

"Could we...? Are we really...?"

"If you want to."

With a delighted laugh, Sora leapt into Riku's ever-present embrace and nearly hugged the life out of the poor boy as he exclaimed, "Of _course_ I want to!" That was one of the moments Kairi had thought of. One of the ones that only had a home in memories, but really belonged so many other places.

"So what are we going to name him?" Sora grinned, looking down at the adorable silver fluff ball that ran in circles at their feet.

His early Christmas present from Riku, of course.

What were _you_ thinking?

x x x

"Kairiiii!"

Without that warning, Kairi might have been completely unprepared for the little torpedo that was launched directly at her, adhering to her side instantly and babbling mile a minute, blonde pigtails bouncing up and down as she jumped eagerly around the puzzled Kairi.

"Mummy and Daddy are taking me to the park and we're gonna put some ornam-mam-ments on the big tree there and then we're gonna go to the beach and get some shells and then we're gonna stop by the store and get some food and then we're gonna, we're gonna bring it to the pier and we're gonna see you and ever-body else there!" Ryo beamed, proud of herself for being the bearer of good news, having blurted everything out before her parents even showed up on the spot.

Seifer easily scooped his energetic daughter up into his arms, grinning as she let out an excited squeal and wrapped her tiny hands around his scarf and buried her face in it. Rinoa laughed and shot Kairi an apologetic look before adding, "Sorry about that. Are you off anywhere in a hurry?"

"Not really. Just sort of wandering around, I guess. You guys are off to the tree then?"

The small party that had gathered there on the sidewalk look over across the street towards the large park that was plopped down right outside the elementary school. An enormous palm tree grew there, towering over not only the school building itself, but also the scads of playground equipment littering the small blacktop nearby. From the tree were ribbons that stretched to smaller, younger palm trees scattered around the playground, the ribbons adorned with what must have been hundreds upon hundreds of ornaments.

Having nothing but palm trees and tropical plants grown really well on the island, Destiny Island inhabitants figured that their trusty palm tree was just as good as any old evergreen any day. And it was. If not more so.

"Yep! Want to come with us? We have a few extra ornaments here!" Rinoa happily held up a little box she'd had tucked under one arm, lifting the lid so that the silver ornaments curled up beneath wadded tissue paper caught the winter sunlight and flickered cheerfully under Kairi's gaze, sparkling and dancing and _daring_ her to give in and go with them.

But she just smiled and that, "Thanks, but I'm okay. I've already hung mine up there and I don't want to take up too much room or anything... Besides, I still have to go make something for the potluck at the pier. I'd almost forgot until Ryo reminded me."

"Yay! Now you won't forget!" Ryo chirped, now seated on top of Seifer's shoulders, the cool breeze drifting around in the air turning her cheeks to a rosy pink color.

"That's right! I'll remember to make something now. Thanks, Ryo!" Kairi said, grinning up at the little girl who swelled with pride.

Bidding farewell to Rinoa and her little family, Kairi continued along her way, thinking to herself and wondering how things had come to pass over the last three years in such a way that perfect families grew out of shambled pasts. In a way, it was sort of inspiring, she guessed.

x x x

"Basil... _organic_ tomatoes, onion root..."

"More."

"Oregano, dill weed... um... freshly grated garlic..."

Leon smirked, filling the spoon with more of the precious soup and tapping the edge of the spoon against the side of the bowl to get rid of the extra drops. Cloud sat across from him, a black blindfold wrapped securely around his head covering his eyes, a small frown on his face as he waited for his cue.

"Open."

And Cloud obeyed. Leon gently moved the spoon in and Cloud closed his mouth around the spoon, cleaning it of its contents as Leon removed it once again.

"Do you give up?" he asked, smirking and twirling the spoon slowly back and forth between his fingers.

"No." Licking his lips slowly, Cloud once again drew those very same lips into a frown, saying, "I don't get it. What am I missing...?"

"One more taste then?"

"One more."

"Alright."

Repeating the motion, Leon lowered the spoon into the thick liquid, tapping against the bowl. However, looking up once again, Leon was struck by one of those moods. It wasn't anything sexual. It wasn't anything truly inspirational either, really. It was simply something completely random and inexplicable. And it was something very, very rare for Leon.

"Any time today would be good, Leon."

Shrugging, Leon simply leaned across the small table for two and placed his lips right over Cloud's.

x x x

"I told you, you can't play that card."

"Oh who cares? I can play any card I want!"

"Pfft. Like hell. Fucking cheater."

"I don't cheat."

"Yes you do! Yes you DO!"

"Hey look! Mummy has four aces!"

"...Honey, you're not supposed to tell them Mummy's hand."

"Ooops."

Kairi giggled as the poker game came to a rather abrupt end, resulting in a scowling Cloud and a slightly off-put Rinoa cradling her girl in her arms and shrugging as the cards were tucked away. The food had been eaten and enjoyed, the company had been good, the talk friendly. As far as Kairi was concerned, this was her perfect day. This was her family, extended beyond all belief, but a family nonetheless.

With a loud yawn, Cloud plopped down next to Kairi and swung his feet over the side of the pier, staring out at the ocean with a content little smile on his face as he said, "You'll have a merry Christmas, right Kairi?"

"Right. You too?"

"Of course."

The two sat side by side in companionable silence, satisfied to just hear the voices of their friends in the background and feel the breeze roll in with the change of tides along the shore. Cloud didn't know what Kairi was thinking... he'd never really gotten the hang of figuring girls out, after all... but he was glad she was always so amiable in these situations. Everyone in the world could be paired off and coupled up except for Kairi... but somehow Cloud still had faith that she'd manage to take it all in stride and put up with it.

Whether it was a healthy thing or not, well, Cloud was still debating that one. But in the meantime it made life so much easier for everyone in general...

A light tap on his shoulder was all it took to derail his jumbled little train of thought and Cloud tipped his head back on his shoulders to peer up at Leon, whom he greeted with a bright grin and a "'Lo there, Leon. What brings you to this side of the planet?"

"Want an early Christmas present?"

"OH BOOOOOOY!!!!"

Latch. Stumble. Tip. Crash. Leon sighed and made a feeble attempt at prying Cloud off his legs, but, as expected, it didn't really have much of an effect on the over-excited blonde who was babbling mile-a-minute at that particular moment.

"Awww, whatdjagetmeLeon, whatisitwhatisitwhatisit? Huhhuhhuhhuh??? Yaaaay! IloveyouLeonyou'resocoolLeonyou'resoawesomeyaaaay!"

"If you'll get off for a second..." Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was just the time of the year. Whatever it was, even Leon couldn't bring himself to be set in his usual cold-hearted nature and had to crack a smile as Cloud detached himself from the other's legs, simply sitting back and grinning like a fool, arms outstretched and awaiting his gift. ...Not that Cloud was materialistic or anything. Oh no. Certainly not that.

"Close your eyes." Obediently, Cloud snapped his eyes shut, causing several people scattered amidst the small crowd to snicker. If Leon asked Cloud to jump off a bridge, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Cloud would take the leap without a second thought. ...Thankfully, Leon would just never be the type of person to order his boyfriend off a bridge.

"They're closed, they're closed!" Cloud insisted, wiggling his fingers anxiously and dancing back and forth on his feet with excitement. Leon smirked and reached into the depths of one of the many picnic baskets strewn around the group of people, pulling out an oblong wrapped package. There were looks of confusion from some... Rinoa, Seifer, Ryo, Sephiroth (Leon still couldn't figure out who'd invited him in the first place...), Sora, Riku, Tidus, Selphie, Wakka...

But this certain similar understanding descended upon three people and three alone. Those three employees of his from all those summers ago....

Tifa beamed.

Aerith smiled.

Kairi grinned.

And suddenly there was just this enormous cloud of good feeling that swallowed everyone whole as the red and gold gift was gently set in Cloud's outstretched hands.

"...Okay." Leon nodded and stepped back from Cloud, ending the moment with the simple words of "You can open your eyes now."

There are some people who like to take time to open their gifts. Let me take just a moment to point out the fact that these people are quite evil. Every moment they spend pulling the fibers of the wrapping paper apart, one by one, inch by inch... Well, quite frankly it's sickening to watch people take such joy in shredding trees to bits like that. Slow torture, that's what it is.

And thankfully, Cloud was not one of these people. In less than three seconds, the paper was off, dangling in one hand. The sun caught on stainless steel metal that stretched down into a perfectly crafted rubber handle that sat perfectly in Cloud's hand with perfect balance and perfect weight...

"...Oh Leon..." Cloud's eyes lit up with something akin to absolute awe... "It's..." And then they began to brim with tears of absolute joy... "It's..." Right before Cloud burst into a spout of absolute hysteria, crying out, "My spatulaaaaa!"

But the sunlight caught on something else as well.

"Cloud..." Leon smiled softly and gesture once, just once, towards the end of the silver cooking implement. And there, slid easily over the narrow handle of the fine cooking-ware was...

A very plain, very beautiful, simple silver ring.

And with a little gasp of surprise and a look that had turned from awe to joy to something of pure love in the space of only a few seconds, Cloud found himself firmly situated in Leon's embrace, arms wrapped around his boyfriend's neck and burying his face into the warm junction where the brunette's shoulder blades met his neck. The applause and cheers coming from everyone around them? Yes, they were heard. But nothing mattered more to Leon than the words that slipped out of Cloud's mouth and danced straight into his ears.

"Thank you, Leon..."

And several yards away, another brunette, shorter, younger, and just all around more vulnerable looking than the other stood beside his own boyfriend. In his arms was his own little fluffy white bundle of joy and on his face was his own little grin of sheer delight, even as Riku smirked and muttered in an amused tone, "Hate to say it, but that's just cute."

"Not as cute as Spug-Nugget!" Sora declared proudly.

It took Riku a moment, but he finally did manage to formulate a response, trying his best to keep his eye from twitching as he warily glanced at the short boy beside him.

"...I still can't believe you named the dog Spug... _Nugget_."

"Yup!"

x x x

"Kairi!"

Kairi paused, halfway across the beach already and nearly towards the point where sand ebbed away and concrete began. But turning around, Kairi came to a complete stop as the little girl bounded across the beach in a desperate attempt to catch up.

Smiling as a panting and exhausted Ryo came to a halt in front of her, Kairi said, "Hey Ryo. You excited about tomorrow?"

"You bet!"

"That's good. You have fun with your mom and dad, okay?"

"Of course!"

"I'll talk to you late--" Turning to go, turning to go, turning to--

"Wait, wait!" --Stopped. Once again.

"Mm?"

"I wanna know what your wish is?"

"My what?"

"Your wish! Your _Christmas wish_, Kairi!" Ryo rolled her eyes dramatically and though Kairi was coming to the rapid conclusion that the dinky little kid in front of her was going to grown up to act just like her mother, Ryo just continued prattling on. "I promise not to tell. I'm real good at keep promises, I swear! I won't tell **anybody**!"

"..." Placing a finger over her bottom lip and furrowing her brows together, Kairi appeared to think very hard for quite a little while before finally nodding firmly and agreeing with, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, okay?"

"...Umm..." Mimicking the older girl's actions, Ryo thought as well. And once all was thought out and each had come to the conclusion that the other was certain to not spoil their holiday wish, Ryo beamed and nodded energetically. "Okay! It's a deal! But you hafta promise not to _tell_ anybody, okay?"

"I promise. And I'm really good at keeping promises too."

"My wish..." Tugging lightly on the sleeve of Kairi's jacket, pulling her down until her ear was level with Ryo's mouth, Ryo cupped one hand over the channel connecting the two of them, mouth to ear. She smiled for a moment, mentally putting a few last details into the picture she'd painted in her child's mind. Then she simply whispered, "My wish...is that next year, you'll get a ring too."

"...Thank you... Ryo..."

"For what?" Unaware of the little spark of hope she'd lit within Kairi, Ryo prodded the older girl and pouted. "Come on, lemme hear your wish now!"

"Well..." _I guess I haven't really thought about it all that much, have I_? "I wish..." Frowning slightly for a moment, Kairi shrugged and answered with, "I wish that tomorrow won't come."

"What?! But why?? Tomorrow's Christmas! Dontcha wanna get all your presents, Kairi?"

"Yeah, but today's been too good. I don't want to give it up so soon."

"...You're so weird."

"Yeah, well, everyone is nowadays."

Ryo shook her head and giggled, tugging once more on Kairi's arm and once more pulling her down to Ryo-size. Wrapping her arms around Kairi as far as they would reach, Ryo grinned and laughed, squeezing for all she was worth to make the best bear hug she possibly could. "Merry Christmas, Kairi."

"Merry Christmas, Ryo."

x x x

_ Hey mister..._

_ Send my baby home._

_ This December_

_ I don't wanna be all alone._

Nostalgia? No, no, not quite yet. Kairi had to keep reminding herself that she was happy. She wasn't lying about it either! ...At least... not like she lied to the psychiatrist.

But still...

_This feels familiar..._ Kairi thought, looking around her as she headed towards her apartment. The crowds of people... the midday rush... the headphones clamped over her ears, blaring Melissa Etheridge. _Minus the Christmas music and the cold... it's just like..._

No it wasn't.

"I don't wanna be all alone..."

"Hey, watch it, kid!"

Had Kairi not been so completely shut out from world (thanks to the wonderful powers of volume control and bass settings on portable CD players), she might have heard all the commotion bubbling up behind her. She might have seen the hordes of people being flung out of the way. And she might have heard The Voice.

...No, not a spiritual voice.

Not a ghost of Christmas past, present, or future.

But _The Voice_.

"Fuck you, man! Outta my way!"

"What the--?! Well happy holidays to you too, brat!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Excuse me!"

"That's more like it."

"Sorry!"

"Ouch!"

"Watch out!"

"Hey!"

"Kairi!"

"Get back here, you little--"

"Kairi!!"

"...?" Now, Kairi may very have been quite oblivious to all noise and sight around her. She may have been quite set on simply crossing that one last street and opening that one last door, just to get out of the cold. But like all humans... or at least... all the female ones... Kairi's mind came rigged with a sort of intuition. And it was at that precise moment in that precise place that the little corner in the back of Kairi's mind started to wake up and say 'Hey, I think something's going on back there and I think it has something to do with you.'

Bizarre? Yes. But not exactly anything completely unbelievable.

"KAIRI!"

_But wait a..._

Short black hair... blonde streaks?

Brown eyes, pale skin, loud voice, ridiculously energized personality, and amazingly violent people-shoving skills? _But that would have to mean..._

"...Ah? Yu..." Kairi didn't have a chance to finish, for no sooner had she managed to utter those two incoherent syllables, she was swept right off the ground and spun round and round in dizzying circles, clutched in the arms of none other than--

"Yuffie! Yes! That's me! And you're you! You're still **you**! HAHAAA!" Kairi had to squeeze her eyes shut in order to try and keep the world in proper order. Not only was the ground spinning around her head over and over again, but she could've sworn she'd just seen... wait... no... that _was_ real. "Oh Kairi, you haven't changed! _You haven't changed_!"

"Yuffie?"

"Yes! It's **me**!"

"Wh--how--but you--"

"Left, I know. And I was gone and... and... it was _confusing_ and it was _bad_ and... and... and I..." Coming back to her senses... or... well... coming back to something, Yuffie set Kairi back down on the ground where she belonged, tucking her hands behind her back to keep from attacking the other girl again. "I'm back."

"But you..."

"...Without _any_ explanation or _any_ goodbye and I... and I... am really, really sorry and... God, I've missed you so much." Hands flying out again, Yuffie started towards Kairi in a jolt, determined to glomp the living daylights out of her. (...Again?) But catching herself at the last moment, Yuffie refrained. (...Again.) "And you don't have to say anything! And you can hate me too, that's okay, but I... I just wanted to see you. And I know it's random and I know there's no notice and I know I should have called and..."

Each girl regarded the other with a look. These looks were nothing alike. In fact, they were almost the complete opposite of one another. While Yuffie's eyes brimmed with hope, apology, and something in between joy and bliss, Kairi's own look was just... confusion. Confusion... hesitation, shock, and... well... more confusion.

It was after a moment that Kairi was finally able to form a response. She wasn't blushing, she wasn't stuttering. She wasn't the same frightened little girl that had nearly had a heart attack every time Yuffie came within ten feet of her. In fact, Kairi was capable of going so far as to plainly state the thing that had been just behind everyone's lips for quite some time.

"You messed up."

"...Again. Yeah."

"..."

"Would saying I'm sorry help my case at all?"

But Yuffie was panicking... Kairi was turning away. _This definitely is **not** supposed to happen. There was no way this **is** happening. _Since when did Kairi turn down Yuffie for... anything?

"...Would saying I'm straight change anything?" Kairi asked, unable to keep just a little hint of sarcasm from biting at the edge of her voice as she met the streetlight head on and waited for her cue to cross.

"DEAR GOD! YOU'RE NOT GAY?!"

_...I'm going to choose to ignore all the weird looks I'm getting. I'm going to pretend she didn't mean to do that. _

"...Yuffie, I wasn't serious."

"Oh." Coming to rest beside Kairi, Yuffie laughed nervously and said, "Wow. Phew. _That_ was a shocker. Man oh man."

"Yuffie..." Kairi sighed and opened her mouth once more to say something, but (Yes. _Again_.) was cut off.

"Kairi, listen." Blinking as Kairi started across the street, Yuffie definitely lost whatever idea might have popped up inside her head as she fought to keep up with the auburn haired girl who was hardly giving her the time of day. _When in doubt, buy some time. _"Okay, don't listen now, I'm still trying to think of what I'm going to say. But don't say anything yet, okay? Just gimme a sec here." _And when in doubt, always say..._ "Please!"

"...Alright..." Kairi stopped walking once more, tucking her hands in her pockets this time and turning to face Yuffie again. Finally getting a good look at the other girl, Yuffie realized that... well... Kairi had changed. Her hair was a little longer, but still cut in a short and feminine way. Her eyes, though still blue, were now lined with carefully applied makeup. Kairi was taller, Kairi was obviously older, and Kairi... wasn't blushing. At all.

_Pull it together, Yuffie... Come on, you **have** to do this..._

"I really messed up. And I messed up before that and I messed up after that. And I took everything out on the wrong people and it was just... really, really bad. And... and while I was gone, I realized a lot of things. I mean..." Unable to continue looking at Kairi's expectant eyes, Yuffie's gaze was averted elsewhere. She would never be so lacking in self-confidence that she would look at the ground, but at the sky? Sure. Even Yuffie was sometimes unsure about things. Even Yuffie got nervous sometimes.

"I went back home, Kairi! I went all the way back there and I was so determined to just go and start over back home. But everyone was gone. They'd all left. And... and I couldn't find them. So I went to my parents, but they'd moved. And so I didn't know where anybody was! ...But I'm not saying all this for pity, just hold up a minute. See..." Licking her lips, Yuffie shifted her weight from foot to foot before continuing in a rapid manner, saying, "They were gone. And now I might not ever see them again. But I know... down here, down on Destiny Islands... I _know_ there're people I care about here. And I know they must still be here because _you're_ here and... and I _do_ care about you and..."

"..."

...And that was the most silence Yuffie ever wanted to hear again in her life. Because Kairi not saying anything meant that Kairi was _thinking_ of something to say and if Kairi had _think_ of something to say, it could only mean...

"Please don't say something that's going to hurt really bad."

"...Um..." "Do you..."

"Have any idea what bitch I am? Yes. Know why I'm back? Not really. Not exactly, I mean. I mean, there's a lot of reasons. I mean..."

"Do you want to come inside, Yuffie?"

Kairi had brought them to one last little rest stop in front of one of the many downtown apartment complexes. Funny, Yuffie hadn't even realized they'd been shuffling along in the first place. But all questions and confusions were set aside as Yuffie simply blinked and pointed at the door in front of her, cocking her head to the side.

"Inside? You mean in there? With you?"

"...I don't see anyone else around here." Raising an eyebrow, Kairi glanced to the left, then to the right. Smirking she shrugged her shoulders and regarded Yuffie once again.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Guard dog?"

"No."

"Pets of any sort?"

"No."

"Do your parents live with--?"

"No, no, and here's a wild guess-- no."

"Well alright then!" But before she allowed herself to get too carried away and let it all slide by, Yuffie had to stop herself. Not again, but just for the first time. She wasn't stopping herself to protect Kairi, but she was stopping herself to protect both of them. "...Kairi, I just... I'm serious, you know. I... I'm _not_ joking."

"I know. I can tell when you're serious." Kairi smiled and took the small flight of steps leading up towards the double doors one at a time, Yuffie following along behind, a puzzled expression on her face.

"...You can?"

"Yeah."

"...So if I called you a snot-bubbly fire hydrant, you'd know I wasn't serious?"

"Of course!"

"And... if I said I'd sold my soul to the devil to buy that ferry ticket to get down here... You'd think I was kidding, right?"

"I'd **know** you were kidding. Ferry tickets are only ten bucks a pop and even _you_ can't be that poor."

"...So what if I said that I wanted to..." Yuffie had to think a moment, trying to put it together... "What if I said..." And then Yuffie had to think another moment, trying to decide if she _should_ put it together... "Um... what if I..?"

"Can you tell when I'm serious?" Kairi suddenly asked, looking at Yuffie expectantly once more.

"Well sure I can!"

"So if I said I forgave you, would you believe me?" Yuffie nodded. "And if I said that Leon and Cloud are now a very happy couple, would you believe me?

"Are you-- YES! That's awesome! I mean, I totally saw it coming, but..."

"What if I said that Sora named his dog Spug-Nugget?"

"..."

"..."

"...If it weren't for the fact that I can _tell_ you're being absolutely serious right now, I'd really be doubting your sanity. He named it **what**?"

"...What if..."

Astrologically speaking, the stars all aligned.

Scientifically speaking, absolute zero was reached.

Phylosophically speaking, Nervana was acheived.

But speaking in simple terms of Kairi and Yuffie...

"What if I...?" Kairi kissed Yuffie. There were no fireworks. There was nothing magical about the moment. But there was this strange electric jolt that didn't surge through either body, but simply drifted in, out, and between the two girls standing across from one another beneath the awning of an apartment building.

And speaking in terms identifiable to any human being: everything was just good.

"...Then... um... I'd hope you were serious," Yuffie murmured, clearly in some state of shock from what had just happened.

"Hoping isn't knowing. Am I serious or not?"

"...Yeah. Yeah you are."

"Good." Kairi turned towards the door, finally reaching out and pulling it opened. Thankfully, Yuffie didn't notice that her cheeks had taken on a far-too-familiar pink tinge that Kairi instantly started hating all over agian. "Sooo... Is it okay to ask for a story or two about the past couple years then, or is it too...?"

"Nah. I got tons of stories to tell."

"...Want some hot cocoa?"

"Cocoa would be great."

x x x

_(Mini-epilogue, anyone?)_

"I still can't believe you got me tickets to her concert!"

"Happy birthday, Kairi! But, uh... I guess I haven't really been being completely truthful to you."

"...What?"

"I don't really like Melissa Etheridge."

"...What??"

"In fact, I don't really like her music at all."

"...Are you _serious_?! But... but you... but the..." "The... the... you said..."

_ Yuffie carefully picked the CD up from the ground, casting a sympathetic gaze at its damaged surface. It probably would never play the same again, if at all. Turning over the disk so that Kairi could take it easier, the label of the disk caught Yuffie's eye, a smile instantly spreading across her face even as Kairi finally seemed to find her voice and start speaking._

_ "It's okay... I should have looked and... Umm... Don't worry about it. It's just Melissa Etheridge... I mean, you know, no big deal... Er, no, I mean, um... I just sorta... liked the CD, but that's okay, it's okay..." Kairi was babbling and she definitely knew it. She wished the dock itself would just open up and swallow her... Anything to get her away from this new person. _

_ "Hey, it's Melissa Etheridge. Who **doesn't** love her?"_

"Hey, I would've done anything to get in your pants back then, what can I say?"

"...Are you **_serious_**?! But Yuffie... You mean all those times I've played her music in the car or made you listen to one of her new CDs... you mean...?"

"Didn't make it any less perfect."

Yuffie turned back towards her baffled girlfriend and shot her a grin.

"So come on, let's go have fun, okay?"

(x) (x) (x)

And so concludes Raspberry Heaven. ...Now go have fun. Play in the snow (if you're lucky enough to have any) and chill with your pals.

In short: have an extraordinary day.

So ends your public service announcement.

--Ori


End file.
